With a Name Like That, You Must Work for the CIA
by lyricsxofxmyxlife
Summary: Cammie Morgan left Gallagher two months ago. The summer is ending and so is her search for answers. She's back.  What has changed and who is the new teacher?  Begins after Only the Good Spy Young.   Original characters and storyline belong to Ally Carter.
1. Prologue

**With a Name Like That, You Must Work for the CIA**

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><p>Two months. That's what it took.<p>

Two months to find answers.

Two months of running. Hiding. Chasing and being chased.

Two months.

As you probably know already, My name is Cammie Morgan. I go to the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. Two months ago I finally found my answers. They say the truth hurts, but sometimes the truth doesn't hurt nearly as bad as the process of discovering it.

Two months.

Two months of scars.

Bruises.

Pain.

I left Roseville two months ago in search of answers.

Well, I'm back.

_Alone._


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

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><p><strong>Cammie's POV<strong>

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><p>Two months to find an answer. It took two months to find closure- and after two months I came back empty-handed. It took two months to find out that my dad was not MIA. He was <em>dead<em>.

I had been following a CIA team sent to hunt down the Circle of Cavan. After raids I would go back and look for anything they missed. I would hack into their system to see what they found. And after two months of constant following, hiding, and looking over my shoulder, I found what I was looking for. But He was already dead.

A few weeks of mourning were followed by simple silence. My mother and I were hurting, but I guess knowing the truth means we can move on.

By the time Gallagher was about to be back in session, most of my cuts had healed into scars and my bruises had faded. I was lucky. I was only shot once, and even that had been taken care of. I walked down the hallway to my room. Bex, Liz, and Macey had arrived earlier in the day, but I spent it like I always do- being a chameleon. My hand touched the silvery doorknob and I turned it. I slowly opened the door and peered through. With a soft smile on my face I quietly slipped in.

"Cammie!", Liz squealed as she ran and tackled me with a hug. Her hair was longer and she had grown. "I missed you!" She added

I laughed as she stepped away- er, was pulled away by a very angry Bex.

"How could you!" Bex screamed. Crap. She was angry. And an angry Bex is like a death certificate during P&E. Just then, she hugged me and I felt the air escape my lungs. "You left me so worried! And you KNEW I was with my parents in Istanbul, helping them capture an infamous arms dealer all summer, too!" She looked normal. Well, relatively normal. For a girl who could slip into a fitness magazine and be a model, she was normal.

Macey stood off to the side but shook her head and laughed. "Really, Cam? Really! Have I taught you nothing? You know that blouse is NOT acceptable!" What I didn't realize is that Macey had gotten stronger. She pulled Bex off, practically flinging her onto Liz's bed, pushed me into the bathroom and threw a white tank top and a striped black and grey cardigan in after me. She slammed the door and yelled out, "Change, now!"

A few minutes later I came out and stood in front of them. "Better?" I questioned. Macey circled me like a hawk surveying its prey. With her discerning eye looking at every hemline and stitch I felt like roadkill. She stepped back and gave me one last look then flashed her brilliant million-dollar smile. "Perfect!" She said.

I breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the wall.

"One more thing." Macey added.

I groaned. "Really? I thought I was done!" I shouted in exasperation. "I even put on eye liner!" Not that I never wear eyeliner, it's just usually used for more unconventional purposes…like disarming a bomb in the middle of a star-studded gala…In Bangladesh! That, my friend, is a good use for McHenry Cosmetics.

But Macey just rolled her eyes and handed me a box."Oh hush, It's just a gift." Then she added, "It's..uh..custom made." She looked over at Bex and Liz. "I gave them one too."

I hesitantly opened the box. I looked down, and lying on the plush, velvet lining of the case was a thin, silver necklace with a small chameleon charm. I gently picked it up and smiled. "Wow, Mace! It's so…me!" I laughed and put it on.

"If you ever take it off, I swear I'll kill you myself." Macey added.

And I believed her.

Bex looked at her watch and said, "Hey, It's almost time for the welcome back dinner."

Liz tossed her perfectly blonde hair to the side and grinned. "And we wouldn't want to miss that, now would we?"

I looked between all of them, obviously confused at what was going on. "What are you talking about?" I questioned.

Macey's mouth dropped. "You didn't hear?"

"Hear what?" I asked.

Bex piped in softly as if she was spilling a national secret. "Mr. Solomon is gone for a few weeks on a mission…We have a new CovOps teacher."

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><p><strong>Okay, so. Thank you to all the wonderful reviews I got for the prologue! It was so encouraging! And to answer some questions from the reviews and messages, YES! Zach will be in the story, but he'll be coming in a little bit later. :)<strong>

Enjoy! Review please! I'll try and answer any questions if you message or review! And Chapt. 2 should be up tonight!


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

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><p>Cammie's POV<p>

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><p>Walking down to the Welcome Back Dinner felt like it had for the past three years. Normal. However, in a spy's life, normal is non-existent. Normal is routine, and routine gets people killed.<p>

"What language do ya'll think we'll be speaking? Ooh, what do you think Chef made for dessert!" The endless string of questions from Liz made the thirty second trip almost unbearable.

"Oh, will you give it a rest!" Bex finally said. "It's the welcome back dinner. We'll be speaking American English." She said, sounding as Americana as apple pie and football. "Chef will probably make Lemon cake for dessert." She sighed. "Nothing ever changes around here for the first day."

I heard Macey laugh lightly and glanced back at her.

"Looks like things are about to." Macey said while motioning to the reflective vase outside of the doorway to the Grand Hall.

In the reflection we could see my mom speaking with someone outside of her office. I didn't recognize who he was, but the way she looked at him I knew something was up. There were only two men who ever saw that look and that was my father, Matthew Morgan, and his best friend (aka my godfather) Joseph Solomon.

"It's probably nothing." I shrugged. "It looks like it's just business."

Bex rolled her eyes. "Yeah right. Your mom never wears full makeup or has her hair all done up like that."

"She probably just wants to look nice for the Welcome Back dinner." I said as we sat down.

That conversation ended abruptly as Tina slid in beside us and started rattling off all the latest spy-slash-celebrity gossip her mom had acquired. Half of it was totally false. A quarter of it was half true. And sadly, the last bit she spit out was totally true.

"So my sources tell me that Blackthorne has had no contact with the Gallagher Board of Trustees concerning doing another exchange." Tina said while spinning a little piece of pasta on her fork before inhaling it.

I sat there and stared at my meal. It was delicious. I was hungry. But suddenly, I didn't feel like eating.

The terrible thing about being in the clandestine business is that relationships are never real. Even the 'real' ones are hidden by a thick blanket of lies. My parents… Abby... The Baxters…

Zach.

I sighed and moved my plate away from me. I couldn't touch my food again. Just then, my mom stepped up to the podium and a silence fell among the teachers and faculty.

"Students, Teachers, Staff." She began. "Today marks the beginning of a new school year, a new beginning. I urge you, students, to enjoy the new beginnings you have left, as when graduate and are no longer protected by the walls of this school, new beginnings are a rare opportunity. There will be a few changes made this year as a result of events that occurred last semester. I assure you, though, classes will go on as scheduled and our expectations for you have grown." She stepped back and looked at Gilly's sword. "And ladies." She added. "Remember." I saw her eyes glisten and I could tell that there was more going on than wanting to look nice for the dinner. "Learn Her Skills. Honor Her Sword." She paused. "Keep Her Secrets."

My mom walked back to her seat and began to discuss something with Madame Dabney. I glanced over at Bex and she caught my eyes. I blinked twice which is our signal for 'something's up', and she nodded in agreement. Just then, and announcement over the PA system brought us back to the real world.

"Attention Students: Please make sure you are in your room by 9 pm and lights out by 9:30. Classes begin tomorrow. No exceptions."

The four of us looked at each other and sighed. We stood up and began to walk back to our room to finish settling in. As soon as we stepped into the main hallway, I looked over at the front door and gasped.

"Aunt Abby?" I said as I ran up to her and gave her a hug.

"Hey squirt!" She said with a grin. Same old Abby.

"ABBY!" Bex screamed as she barreled towards my aunt.

"Whoa, hey there Beccers! Tell the folks they need to 'give me a ring'." She said with her British accent while smirking.

A few other girls who knew Abby came up and said hello and watched her show off her battle scars from her last mission. When they had drifted away I asked,

"Aunt Abby, Why are you really here?"

"Your mom called me in, Squirt. Said she wanted to talk."

I nodded. "Oh. Alright… Well… at least stop by before you leave…"

She looked at me, and stared straight through my eyes. "Last time I checked you didn't give me that privilege when you left for two months."

Abby brushed past me without another word. I just stood there for a moment trying to comprehend what she said. Since when was she so harsh? I decided I needed to find out what they were talking about, and when there's a listening spot right behind mom's office, why should it not be put to good use?

One block pulled out, turned and placed back in. The trapdoor popped open and I slid inside. They must have started talking as soon as Abby got inside because all I heard was,

"He begins tomorrow." and "What do you think Cammie will say?"

I grimaced at the fact of not getting the information I wanted. It was killing me. Really.

I slid out of the hiding space to find that Abby and my mom had stepped into the hallway. I crept back into the shadow and waited."

"And Abby?" I heard my mom say. "Cammie can't know."

Abby nodded. "Don't worry Rachel, She won't find out."

They gave each other a quick, sisterly hug and Abby walked out the front door and sped off on her motorcycle as my mom stepped back in her office.

I stepped out of the shadows and sighed.

I hated this part most of all. The lies.

I put my hands in my pocket and began to walk back to my room when I felt something rustle against my hand. It was a small, torn piece of evapopaper.

_Gallagher Girl,_

_I'm sorry for what's coming. I couldn't stop it._

_-Z_

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><p><strong>Hope ya'll like this one! I added a little Zach, but I promise that he will come for real! Haha, R&amp;R! I love all my readers already! Yall are awesome! (And did I not say Chapt. 2 would be up by tonight? Well, it's 4 minutes till midnight so here yall go!)<strong>_  
><em>


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

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><p><strong>Cammie's POV<strong>

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><p><em> Run. Faster. Faster, faster! Why wouldn't my legs let me quicken my pace? Why did I feel like I was suffocating? I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. Everything was closing in around me. I tried desperately to scream for help, but all I could do was open my mouth. Not a single sound escaped my lips. They were coming!<em>

_Closer._

_ Closer._

_ CLOSER!_

_ I couldn't handle it, I thrashed around with all the force I could gather to escape from my bonds. I couldn't let them take me. I heard a gun- shot pierce the night sky. It terrified me. They had already killed my father, they couldn't get me._

_Get me._

_ Get me._

_ Get her._

_Get her. Boston. The roof. Zach's mom. I tried to fight again but it was useless.I was trapped. Hopeless. Helpless. _

_I felt a sharp pain slide across my face. Then nothing._

"Did you really have to smack her?"

"Well I told you to get her and you didn't."

_Suddenly I saw a blinding light. I squinted my eyes to let them adjust then slowly surveyed my surroundings._

Crap.

I looked up and saw three pairs of eyes hovering over me.

"Cammie! What the bl–''

"BEX!" Liz cut her off.

I looked up at them. "What happened? I- I was being chased….Zach's mom…the gun.."

Macey rolled her eyes and slipped her sleeping mask back on. "Cam, It was a nightmare. Go to sleep, NOW."

"But I was suffocating!" I argued. "I know I couldn't breathe!"

Liz twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

"Yeah, Bex put a pillow over your face then sat on you…"

"BEX!" I yelled out of disbelief.

"Well, you wouldn't stop screaming or flailing around in your bed." Bex replied nonchalantly.

"Was it really necessary to smack me?" I asked and crossed my arms.

"You wouldn't wake up." Bex said as she inspected her nails.

"But the gun…." I couldn't figure it out. "You didn't really.." My voice trailed off.

Bex pointed to the floor as Liz crawled back in her bed.

I looked down and saw that I had knocked off my bedside lamp, an alarm clock, and a journal.

"Oh." I got up and knelt down to pick up everything and Bex did the same. I moved my hand to the journal but she got to it before I could. She closed it but not before the evapopaper note from Zach fell out.

"Cam!" She whispered. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked after reading it.

I shrugged. Luckily, that was the truth. I didn't really know.

"I don't know..I just found it yesterday."

Bex nodded and we went back to bed.

The first few classes were nothing out of the ordinary. COW with Professor Smith, (Well actually, he got off on a random tangent about underground nuclear tunnels in China, Bosnian food, and an incident that occurred in Colombia involving an old farm truck, an envelope, and a banana.) Culture and Assimilation with Madame Dabney, (where she politely criticized Bex's choice to leave her elbows on the table, Liz's crossing of her legs, and my lack of actual make up use for cosmetic purposes…Macey agreed with that one, though.) and Protection and Enforcement. (Where Bex sufficiently annihilated me for the nightmare incident at 3 AM.) Then it was Covert Operations, Senior year (aka CovOps 3)… without Mr. Solomon. After P&E, Macey, Liz, Bex, and I walked back into the building. We looked at each other and gave a sad smile. This was it. Macey was just entering CovOps 2 after a very intense summer session of catching up, Liz was going down to the lab for Advanced Invention, Research, and Technical Backup, and Bex and I were heading to CovOps 3… In a new Sublevel that none of us had ever experienced. After a few goodbyes and see you laters, Bex and I headed off to Sublevel three. After full body scans, two rounds of ten questions fired at us in multiple languages, and three P&E tests against dummies, we walked into the sterile, metal room that was labeled,

"Covert Operations III"

Professor Joseph Solomon

We looked at each other and sighed. Things just wouldn't be the same. Bex walked in ahead of me and plopped down in front of Tina Walters and Anna Fetterman. (Yeah, you heard me right, ANNA is in CovOps 3!) I slid in beside her and Tina instantly started blabbing away.

"My sources have told me that Mr. Solomon will be here but because he was arrested last semester then practically killed, he'll be in heavy disguise."

Bex and I just rolled our eyes. No one would ever know what really happened in the tombs of Blackthorne- no one except myself, Zach, Bex, Liz, Macey, and Mrs. Goode. I shuddered at the thought of his mother. Bex must have noticed because she looked at me with concern. Our attention came back to the real world when a tall, mysterious, James Bond-esque figure stepped into the room.

"Who is the current President of Albania?" He asked in Swahili.

"Bamir Topi." Bex answered.

"Miss Walters, without looking, what color are my eyes?" He fired again in Mandarin Chinese.

"Grey." She replied without blinking.

"Who am I?" He asked in English after turning around to face us.

The silence was dreadful. No one moved. He went to raise his eyebrows when I interrupted.

"John Smith."

I saw a smile begin to form on his face but he quickly hid it, maintaining his stoic demeanor.

"Very good, Miss…"

"Cammie.." I added. "Cammie Morgan."

He nodded, but his attention was quickly turned to a giggling Kim Lee and Mick Morrison. He looked at them and motioned for them to tell the class.

"Well..It's just…" Kim giggled again.

"John Smith?" Mick cut in.

Mr. Smith nodded. "Yes? That's my name."

Courtney Bauers grinned, "With a name like that, you kinda have to work for the CIA!"

Eva Alvarez smirked and asked, "Who's your wife? Jane Doe?"

That comment earned a laugh from the entire class and a grin from Mr. Smith.

"No, actually, That would be my sister." He winked then added, "I'm not married."

"Are you dating?" Bex questioned.

He grinned. "Classified."

CovOps 3 came and went after the initial excitement of having a teacher even hotter than Mr. Solomon. Bex and I raced back to our room in anticipation of a few free minutes before lunch and then Advanced Encryption and Decoding II.

"Hey, I need to slip down to my mom's office and grab a book I left in there when I was studying." I said.

"Oh, okay, I'll be in here." Bex replied without looking up from the mirror in the bathroom.

I walked out and closed the door behind me before walking down the hallway to my mom's office. I was about to place my hand on the doorknob to go in when I heard voices talking inside.

"How did it go today, John?" My mom asked.

"Pretty well I guess… They don't hate me yet." Mr. Smith said.

"How did she handle it?"

"She's excellent- more impressive than half of the spies at Langley right now."

"And does she feel comfortable around you?"

"I don't know yet, but I'm working on it.

"Thanks, John… And I'm sure you'll get used to teaching. It's not as exciting as field work, but it has its perks."

"Yeah, I like this perks that come with this job."

I couldn't handle it anymore. With that last response, I could practically see him drooling over my mom.

Ew.

I opened the door and startled my mom. (Her skills are wearing off…she's getting old…)

"Cammie dear! Goodness, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

Okay, just for the record, she only says 'Cammie dear' when she's trying to hide something.

I looked between her and Mr. Smith and acted confused.

"I just came here to get my book…"

"Oh, okay, sweetie. It's over there." She motioned to the couch where I was sitting earlier. "John, this is my daughter Cameron."

"Cammie." I corrected. "It's Cammie."

Mr. Smith nodded politely. "Yes, you're uh, in my Covert Operations 3 class, right?"

He was lying. He knew exactly who I was. He's a seasoned field operative that could quote a three hour movie after only watching it once. This man was not stupid enough to forget someone's name who he met fifteen minutes prior to that. But of course I nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, that's me." I added as I picked up my book.

He looked at it and said, "_The Beginnings and History of the Circle of Cavan."_ He hid a smile and added. "That's an interesting choice."

I shrugged.

My mom gave him a half of a death glare. (Which actually would have been deadly if he had been the Prime Minister of a European nation that you don't have the clearance to know about!)

I suppressed a laugh and half smiled.

"I guess I'll be going now." I said as I walked towards the door.

"Bye, sweetie." Mom said as I shut her heavily armored door.

I stood outside for a moment and waited for them to say something again.

"Do you think she's figured it out yet?" I heard my mom ask.

"Nah, it's impossible. Even for a girl of her capability." He said.

I heard my mom sigh. "Good. It's not time for her to know yet."

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><p><strong>Thank you for all the reviews and story favorites and alerts! I love getting all your insights and comments! Okay, a few things:<strong>

1) What do you think Cammie isn't supposed to know? {Ps, this has already been decided so your guesses won't change it:}

2) Do you think John Smith is good or evil? {This has also already been decided.}

3) How does Zach get all his information and deliver it to Cammie, unnoticed?

4) What would you like to see happen in this story?

**Please answer in the review section along with your comments about this chapter!**

**Thanks! **

**(By the way, I will try and post a chapter tomorrow. (Friday, Dec. 2, but I have to take the SAT on Saturday so there probably won't be a new chapter until Sunday. Sorry!)**


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

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><p><strong>Zach's POV<strong>

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><p>Why is it so cold? Why is it snowing? Why is snow cold? I shivered. Three hours until I get back to Blackthorne. Why does Gallagher have to be ALL THE WAY DOWN IN ROSEVILLE, VIRGINIA? WHY COULDN'T THE CIA JUST GIVE A GUY A BREAK AND PUT IT A LITTLE CLOSER SO HE DOESN'T HAVE TO WALK THIS FAR IN THE SNOW WITHOUT A JACKET! Oh yeah. Until that little exchange back in Sophmore year we didn't know about each other.<p>

I thought back to when I slipped Cammie the note. She looked so upset. I just wanted to talk to her. She seemed deep in thought though and I knew if I got off track I wouldn't make it back to Blackthorne in time. She had grown over the summer. Maybe it was the scars and the maturity in the way she carried herself. All I knew was that the girl I fell in love with- the girl who had risked her life to help me- the girl who looked past my mother-slash-terrorist-leader and still cared for me had changed. She had seen things. But she hadn't seen me. She told me not to follow her- that she had to go alone.

_**Flashback:**_

_ It had been three days since Cammie left Gallagher. The rest of the guys had gone home for the summer and well, I had nowhere to go. (Besides; Who would want to spend two months with your psycho mom who's trying to kill your girlfriend?) I spent a week or so with Mr. Solomon while he was recovering from the explosion in the Tombs at Blackthorne. It took him a while to be fully conscious, but after he knew I was there, I was gone and had left him in the care of Mrs. Morgan. I didn't know where to go. I knew I couldn't put Cammie in danger so I went where I thought she wouldn't go- Mr. Solomon's lake house. I knew she and Macey had stayed there after my mom's attempted kidnapping of them. Solomon had told me about it and said to use it if I ever needed to, so I took him up on it. _

_ I stepped over the trip wires and dodged the security camera sweeps around the perimeter. I knew once I was in I was safe. Solomon said he never used it but kept the area secure just because. (Besides, after I found the land mine by the front entrance, I knew it was REALLY safe.) I finally got in and was surprised. It wasn't totally archaic. It was…plain- Unused. I opened the door that made a creaking sound when it was moved and looked as if it was about to fall off the hinges. (So maybe Solomon is a better spy than handyman…) I glanced around then walked into the bedroom. The bed was made but it looked wrinkled. Not completely out of the ordinary but Solomon leaves things pristine and boot camp worthy. (After all, he did go to Blackthorne.) I shrugged it off and walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water. There was a bowl in the dish drainer with drops of water still on it. Now that was odd. No one was supposed to have been here. I looked around and saw a few more things out of place. Trash in the trashcan; Food that would spoil was left in the refrigerator. I looked at the bowl in the dish drainer and was lucky enough to get a fingerprint off of it. I took a picture of the dusting and sent it to Jonas. A few minutes he texted back with, _

"_It belongs to a Cameron Ann Morgan. Where are you?"_

"_That's not important. Can you track her with a satellite? Maybe try facial recognition?"_

_About an hour and a half passed before Jonas finally called._

"_Dude, what took you so long? Next time I'll just call Liz." I said impatiently._

"_Zach, man if you do that, don't expect anything else. EVER. She is NOT better than me."_

"_Jonas, keep your pants on and just tell me what you found on Cam."_

_ He sighed then said, "Good luck man. She's off the grid. There's no way of finding her. I traced your phone by the GPS in it and looked at satellite photos of the lake house from the past week and there's nothing…Only some clips of you tripping over a branch."He chuckled._

"_Man, don't give me that! Do better! I have to find her!" I argued._

"_Look. Did it ever occur to you that she didn't want to be found? I mean, she isn't the chameleon for nothing."_

_Then it dawned on me._

_The Chameleon._

"_Jonas. Hack into the tracer system I put on my computer and find the subject labeled, "Cham."_

"_Uhh..Okay?"_

"_JUST DO IT." I said firmly._

_Thirty-four seconds passed before I heard him say anything._

"_I'm in."_

"_Good now hit the 'locate subject' button and it should give you a longitude and latitude."_

_Man, am I glad I gave Cammie the chameleon anklet or what!_

"_Um…Zach?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_I wouldn't move if I were you…"_

"_What?"_

_I heard the phone go dead and a voice behind me._

"_Get on your knees, put your hands behind your head, and lace your fingers together."_

_I didn't turn around to see who it was._

"_Do it now!"_

_I heard the safety of a gun go off._

"_Alright, alright." I said._

_I slowly moved down to my knees and put my hands behind my head. I felt the barrel of a gun press against the back of my head._

"_Why are you here?" They asked._

"_I'd like you ask you the same thing." I said with a smirk._

_I felt the gun press against my skin threateningly._

"_You have 5 seconds before I pull this trigger."_

"_I'm just here for summer break….I have permission to be here…"_

_Not totally the truth, but not a lie. I was here for the summer and Solomon did give me permission._

"_Okay, this is what's gonna happen. You're gonna go back in the house, get your bag, and you're gonna get in my car. I'm taking you to the highway and you're getting out and not coming back."_

_I nodded._

"_Now get up slowly."_

_I hesitated._

"_NOW."_

_I slowly moved up and slowly lowered my hands. I turned quickly, catching the mystery person off guard. I kicked the gun away and held her arms by her side so she couldn't move._

"_One more thing-" I said. "When'd you get to be like this?"_

_She looked at me with ice cold eyes. _

"_I guess I've changed, Zach."_

"_Really? Could've fooled me." I said sarcastically._

"_Just go." She added._

_ I slowly let go of her arms and realized that there was more than spark between us. There was a blazing wildfire that neither of us could cross. She knew her father was dead and I knew my mother killed him._

_**End Flashback**_

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><p><strong>Cammie's POV<strong>

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><p>I walked through the day in a blur. Lessons were just spoken words, meals were just piles of food on a plate, and free time was just empty.<p>

At dinner I pushed my food around on my plate and stared at my Bio-Chemistry note cards without actually absorbing any information. It didn't mean anything to me.

"Cams, maybe you should go eat with your mom…" Bex whispered.

Liz nodded. "Yeah, we'll catch up tonight."

I nodded slowly and stood. I picked up my bag and walked out quickly.

"What's her problem?" Macey scoffed while looking at the preview issue of next month's _Elle_. (Which actually had Physics notes taped on the pages inside.)

Bex went to smack her but Liz stopped her and said, "It's her dad's birthday…"

"Oh."

I walked back to my mom's office and slowly opened the door. Inside I saw my mom, Aunt Abby, and a whole pizza. And I could tell that the pizza was the only thing that wasn't torn.

"Cam.." My mom said as I entered the room. "Shouldn't you be..uh. . at dinner?"

I shrugged and replied softly. "I didn't feel like eating…"

I looked over at Abby and said coldly. "You're here? What about that mission."

Abby rolled her eyes and said, "Taking a leave. I'm going back tomorrow. I wanted to be here today."

"Then why didn't you come see me."

"Last time I checked you didn't want to be seen. Even by your own boyfriend."

That was it. I walked out and slammed the door behind me and ran into the secret passageway.

I ran down the passageway, dodged a few fallen bricks, and slid into the alcove where Zach had first asked me for the Cammie Morgan No-Wall-Too-High-No-Passageway-Too-Secret Tour. I slid to the floor and started to cry, but as soon as I felt the floor, it wasn't cold and hard like it usually was. No. It was…soft? I picked up what was under me and looked at it. Zach's jacket? I put it on and smelled it. I sighed a sad, contented sigh. I shoved my hands in the pockets and pulled out a piece of evapopaper with a note.

_ Cam,_

_ Stop running from everyone. You should be here. I want _

_ to see you soon, but I know you probably don't want to see me._

_ I'm sorry you had to find out about your dad like that. I wish we could_

_ talk but I understand if you don't want to. Maybe I'll see you_

_ soon. And Cam?_

_ I still love you._

_ Be careful._

_ -Z_

I miss this.

I miss him.

I need him.

_ I had an idea._

I took another piece of evapopaper from my stash in the passageway, scribbled a quick note, and tied my hair band around it. I left it in the exact spot that Zach left his jacket.

I got up and slipped out of the passageway.

As I was walking down the hall, Aunt Abby emerged from my mom's office as John Smith walked in. I rolled my eyes and kept walking past her.

"Hey." She said sternly as she grabbed my arm.

"What."

She laughed sarcastically. "You're actually gonna talk to me like that?"

"Last time I checked you didn't care." I said, mocking her.

"Last time I checked the Director of the CIA made you promise to stop sneaking out to see boys." She said as she tugged on the oversized jacket hanging on my shoulders.

"I didn't sneak out."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, I keep my promises unlike a certain someone." I said with contempt.

"I never broke a promise, Cam."

"Oh really? Where were you when dad was gone? Huh? Where were you when mom and I needed you?"

"Don't give me that, Cam! I couldn't step away from my job because you couldn't accept the reality of what your parents' jobs were! I'm also not the one who ran away for TWO MONTHS and left only a note that was supposed to vindicate everything!" She was practically screaming.

I screamed back. "I was the one who found the answers. I did what YOU NEVER HAD THE COURAGE TO DO!"

She took a small step back. "Fine." She said calmly but the anger bottled up behind it was almost lethal. "I'm leaving tonight anyways." She started to walk away but I stopped her and I had no intent of leaving without an answer this time.

"What." She said.

I pointed to my mom's office door where her and Mr. Smith were having a conversation.

"What's going on with them."

Abby was emotionless as usual.

"You'll know when the time comes."

"That's not good enough, Abby! I have to know!"

"Well if you're so good at finding out answers, get them yourself." She said as she was walking towards the door. I was standing there like a ticking time bomb. I swear if Tina had walked by I would have torn her to shreds.

"Oh." She added. "And tell Zach that he's getting sloppy. He ran right into me last time."

* * *

><p><strong>So, I'm really sorry about not uploading on Friday! Things got a little crazy! This would have been up sooner today but I was pretty dead from the SAT.<strong>

**ANYWAYS!**

**Soooo, Here's a little preview of Zach! Hope yall enjoyed it! And ABBY! What's her deal!** **(Haha, well of course I know ;) **

**Please stay with me yall! I'm trying to at least post a chapter a day! I think this is the longest one yet...** **(I'm quite proud of myself!)**

**So Read and Review please! I love reading every single review even if I don't get a chance to respond! **

**Thank you so much and Enjoy!**

**-Alli(:**


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

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><p><strong>Cammie's POV<strong>

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><p>My steps through the main hallway resounded loudly on the hardwood floors. I was angry. I was furious. (Okay, so I wasn't <em>Bex<em> angry, but definitely a close second… A VERY close second.) Not only because of Abby, but because of everthing! I wanted Zach! I wanted Mr. Solomon back! I stood outside my mom's office and without hesitation I opened the door and stormed inside.

Bad idea.

_VERY_ bad idea.

When most girls walk into their mother's offices, they expect to see paperwork, a coffee maker, a few chairs, maybe light music or a phone ringing. At a spy school, it usually includes all of the above plus poisons, firearms, and heavy files that are labeled with a big giant, _**CLASSIFIED.**_ However, when I walked into my mother's office promptly after dinner, I expected to see all of the above; just not all of the above plus my mother and brand new CovOps teacher hugging and sitting on her couch. Oh yeah, and my mom had been crying. There was a tissue in her hand and one on the floor. You thought I was mad then?

Sure. I'm a spy. I can hide my feelings. I can fake a smile better than any Hollywood actress. Was I planning on doing so? Um, no.

"What. The. Heck. Is. This?" I demanded.

"Cameron-" My mom started.

"Don't 'Cameron' me! Tell me what's going on, NOW." I yelled.

"Cammie, you shouldn't speak to your mother like that…" Mr. Smith said calmly.

"Whoa. YOU stay out of this." I bit back.

"CAMERON ANN MORGAN, you WILL NOT talk to Mr. Smith like that!" She snapped.

"THEN TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO KNOW SOMETHING." I screamed.

My mom handed me a letter and stepped back with Mr. Smith. He slipped his arm around her waist. As I glanced up at them he kissed her forehead.

"Save it." I cut in before he could lean any closer to her.

My mom sighed and I heard him whisper, "It'll be okay, It's just gonna take some time…"

I glared at them and looked back at the letter.

My heart **s t o p p e d.**

Blackthorne….Board of Trustees….Exchange program…..twenty students to study at the Gallagher Academy….one week from now…..embrace the collaborative nature of this experience…..

_Zach._

My mind was racing. There was nothing more that I wanted than to see Zach right now…

Just then I saw my mom and Mr. Smith hold hands and lace their fingers together. I folded the letter back to the way it was and added as calmly as I could,

"Now. Tell me what's going on here."

"Cammie, we'll explain when it's time."

"Is this what Abby was hiding from me?"

"Sweetie, WE WILL TELL YOU WHEN IT'S TIME."

"Rachel…" Mr. Smith sighed as he gently slid his hand down her back and around her waist."

"LEAVE." I demanded. "You are NOT a part of this."

"Actually I am, Cam!" He bit back.

"You do NOT call me Cam." I screamed. "ONLY MY FATHER IS ALLOWED TO CALL ME CAM."

"Your father is dead, Cameron. Grow up and move on!" Mr. Smith yelled.

_My mother backhanded him across his face_.

"I think she said it all." I declared sanely. I turned to my mom and said calmly but demandingly, "Now. What's going on here, and I'm NOT leaving without an explanation."

"Cammie." My mom said. "I believe I have made it crystal clear that we're done here."

"NO! That's NOT fair! I'm your daughter!"

"Cameron." She said sternly. "You know as well as I do that there is nothing fair in this business."

"So, what? I find dad's body and you think it's okay to suddenly start going out with someone? He was YOUR husband! MY father!"

"Cam." She said with her jaw set. "This discussion is over."

I stood there in disbelief. "If you think I will EVER be okay with this, you're wrong. You're SO wrong."

I furiously walked out and ran to the secret passageway where I had left Zach's note. I moved the brick I had set it by.

_It was gone._

I smiled through the tears that were welling up in my eyes from the argument. Zach had been here. I looked around for a little bit and saw a tiny corner of a piece of evapopaper sticking out of a crevice in the brick wall. I pulled it out and read it.

_See you soon, Gallagher Girl._

_-Z_

_(PS- thanks for the note.)_

As soon as I saw the note, _half_ of my fury left me.

Zach was coming.

My CovOps teacher was hitting on my mom.

Zach was coming.

My CovOps teacher was practically making out with her at the moment.

_Zach was coming._

_**MR. SMITH WAS DATING MY MOM.**_

_They say that the teenage years for girls are the hardest ones a person could ever experience. Boy, are they wrong. Teenage girls may have it pretty bad but teenage girls who happen to be spies? They need a break sometimes. It's like, 'Why not take a typical girl who already has issues with friends, school, boys, and is waiting for her hormones to stop waging war with her pores, and add a whole other layer of secrets, deceit, and life-threatening espionage.' And right in that moment, that's exactly what it felt like. Right in that moment I felt like going back to Blackthorne and standing in the tombs as they exploded, hoping the fire would take me away. In that moment, all I wanted to do was cry, but crying is weakness- and I don't have time to be weak._

I walked up the steps to my room and sighed. As I opened the door I heard laughter. (Not the fake kind we have to practice during Culture & Assimilation with Madame Dabney.) No; real laughter…and smiling. I stood at the door and observed three girls in their pajamas, throwing popcorn at each other, and arguing over which James Bond actor was better. (Personally, I would go with Daniel Craig, but that's just me.)

Suddenly I saw a flying Bex tackle a sitting Macey and crumble popcorn over her face.

"Say it! Say it!" Bex laughed. "Sean Connery is better!"

"NEVER!" Macey said while laughing hysterically.

I saw Liz in the corner grinning and shouting, "NO! Pierce Brosnan beats them all!"

Macey laughed and pulled Liz into the wrestling match.

"Take it back!" Macey said while laughing.

"Lies! All Lies!" Bex exclaimed while trying to wiggle out of Liz's grasp.

"Personally, I think Daniel Craig is better." I said with a smile.

"CAMMIE! Where have you been?" Bex asked.

I shrugged. "Around.."

Bex blinked twice.

I sighed and sat on my bed as Macey dragged Bex over and Liz walked back to her bed.

"What's up?" Macey asked in Portuguese.

I sighed and laid back on the pillow. "Everything…"

Bex half smiled. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to." (Which is basically Bexish for 'Spill or I'll drug you with Sodium Pentothal so you have to tell me.')

"Blackthorne is coming again." I said emotionlessly.

"Really?" Macey grinned.

"When!" Bex added.

Liz tensed a little, "You mean…Jonas is coming?"

Okay. Elizabeth Sutton might be able to crack CIA codes that have been undecipherable since they were created. She might be able to memorize an entire book after reading it once. (Which is ONLY because of the whole photographic-memory-thing…) Liz could probably create a drug so lethal that it would kill you by just looking at it, but when it comes to boys, she's last in that field.

"What?" She added. "I just wanted to know…" She said sounding so innocent.

Macey, Bex, and I busted out laughing.

"Yeah." I began. "Jonas will be there; and Grant, and Nick, and…"

"ZACH!" Bex screamed. "Zach's coming too!"

"Yeah…" I said softly.

Macey looked at me with that discerning eye of hers. "There's something else you're not telling us."

I sighed again.

"My mom and Mr. Smith are together…"

Their jaws dropped.

"Wait, like…together as in working on a case? Or like…together as in teaching together?" Macey blubbered through.

I shook my head.

"No…" I sighed.

You could have had the four most brilliant Gallagher Girls in history in my dorm room, but nothing could prepare us for this.

"Together as in dating." I finished.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay. So this chapter was really hard for me to write. I don't rightly know why, though! lol. Lets just say i'm suffering from a minor case of writer's block! But yeah. Anyways...This chapter sounded alot better on my storyboard and in my head! So I hope you're not dissapointed! I ended up writing this one twice because I thought the first one was way worse!<strong>

**SO!**

**Enough of that. WELL! I guess that was the big reveal of the secret! But don't worry! There are a few more surprises coming! **

**AAAAAANNNNNNDDDDDD**

**Zach!:) **

**Please review!**

**-Alli(:**


	7. Chapter Six

**So, I realized that I hadn't done a Disclaimer in a while, so here goes:**

**DISCLAIMER: Ally Carter owns Gallagher Girls...And Zach...-sigh- I guess I'll just have to settle for John Smith...Since he's really the only one I own...*Mutters something in Cantonese***

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

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><p><strong>Cammie's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>I hadn't spoken a word to my mom since the argument. I didn't do anything to Mr. Smith except glare at him when I passed him during breakfast. Oh, and speaking of breakfast, the aforementioned mother that I am not on speaking terms with announced that Blackthorne will be coming on Saturday. Great- I only have three days to prepare for the arrival of the hottest-slash-cockiest-male-spy-in-training.<p>

**Pros and Cons of Being a Student at Gallagher Academy at This Moment**

**A List By Cammie Morgan**

**Pro: **Secret Passageways that only you know about.

**Con: **Most of said secret passageways were found by the security team and covered.

**Pro: **Only MOST.

**Con: **You are trapped in the building with your mother and jerk of a CovOps teacher.

**Pro: **Better spying opportunities on said mother and evil teacher.

**Con: **They're usually one step ahead of you.

**Pro: **Room-mates make everything better.

**Con: **They usually find out everything too.

**Pro: **Zach' coming.

**Con: **_Zach's coming._

I got lucky today when we didn't have CovOps 3 because of a little incident with Dr. Fibs, temporary blindness for the entire senior class, and the possibility of a rogue robot that was created to destroy everything. (I was only involved in two of the three.) After the rest of the classes, Bex, Liz, Macey, and I went back to our dorm. (After all, Bex, Liz, and I were getting over the side effects of the temporary blindness.)

After our door closed, everyone went to their separate corners. I sat on top of my dresser that was tucked under the alcove, Bex slipped under the blankets that layered her bed, Macey stole away to the bathroom and fixated on herself in the mirror as she began a regimented routine of skin care, and Liz sat properly at her desk as she turned her laptop on and began typing away.

"Sending a coded message to Jonas?" Bex asked Liz.

"Maybe." She answered while trying to hide the redness growing on her face.

Macey laughed as she inspected her pores, "Face it, Lizzers! You likkkeeee himmmmm!" She sang.

Liz laughed nervously. "I like being better than him…JUST like Bex enjoys kicking Grant's butt in P&E and Cammie enjoys out Chameleon-ing Zach in CovOps."

Macey nodded. "She has a point there…"

I sighed. "Hey guys….I think I need a favor…."

Bex glanced up from her issue of _Espionage Weekly_, and asked me cautiously. "What _kind_ of favor are we talking about?"

"The kind of favor that involves tailing, collecting evidence, bugging, and getting rid of John Smith." I said nervously.

"Bex grinned, her perfect white teeth flashing against her perfect cappuccino-colored skin, "I'm in."

"Me too." Macey said. "He gave me a B on my last CovOps 2 assignment."

"Liz?" I asked.

She didn't answer.

"Is that a yes or no, Bookworm?" Bex added.

"Liz, come on! You love this stuff!" I said.

"No." She said quietly.

I heard Macey drop her tweezers and walk out of the bathroom. "What?" She said.

"You heard me. No."

"Why?" I asked

"Just because."

"Liz, seriously, stop joking and help us plan!"

"No! I already said no!"

"Come on, Lizzers, stop being selfish and help Cam." Bex added.

Liz froze and slowly turned to face us.

"Excuse me?" She said. "Selfish?"

Bex nodded. "You heard me." She said imitating Liz's southern accent."

_And then the Great Elizabeth Sutton snapped._

She turned to face me. And to be honest, I was scared.

"It's always about you! _Your_ dad, _your_ secret relationship with Josh! _Your_ issues with Zach, _You_ running away! _You_ and _your_ mom fighting! It's _ALWAYS_ about _YOU_, Cammie! And now you want us to go do re-con on Smith? You're absolutely unbelievable! You are the most _selfish_ person I have ever met! You can't even stand the sight of your own mother being happy! NEWSFLASH, Cam! I NEVER get to see my parents! Or even one of them! You get your mom all the time! Whenever you want to see her, you get to! And when she asks you how your day was, you can tell her that you learned how to disarm a bomb with chopsticks and sticky rice! Or that you get to go bug the Prime Minister's son for credit in CovOps! My parents will _NEVER_ be able to know how talented or smart I am! They will _never_ be able to know what Jonas is _REALLY_ like! Or what he _REALLY_ does for a living! You are SO lucky! You think that your life is so hard? Well guess what! It's NOT. And honestly, I wish that I had NEVER EVEN COME TO GALLAGHER!" And with that, she stormed out and slammed the door.

"What in the world just happened?" Bex asked in shock.

"She's right…." I said softly, in disbelief.

"No, she's just kind of freaking out." Macey said as she walked out with her green facial masque on .

"No! She's right! Liz is ALWAYS right! I have been selfish." I said in despair.

"Chill, Cam. Just give her some time to calm down. Besides, your mom isn't letting her leave any time soon, and she doesn't know how to work the passageways like you do." Bex said.

"That's true. You just need to calm down and Woosah." Macey said.

"Woosah?" Bex and I said together in the universal language of confusion.

"Yeah. It's a meditation –slash-stress-relieving trick my cousin taught me. Watch." She said as she walked over and sat on her bed Indian style. She took a deep breath in and as she exhaled slowly she said, "Wooooossssssssaaaaaahhhhhh."

Bex looked at me as I looked at her. We both burst out laughing at the same moment. Macey laughed and chucked her pillow at us.

"You guys are mean!" She exclaimed as she laughed.

Bex and I just grinned at each other and simultaneously imitated her with a, "Woooosssaaaaaahhhhhh!"

* * *

><p><strong>Liz's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>I was so angry. I was angry at Cammie. I was angry at my parents. I was just….angry! Not only that, but I was scared. I had said all those aweful things to Cammie…I felt like I had just lost my best friends and room-mates. I didn't know where to go…I didn't have Jonas here… I wanted to run away. But running away is hard when your teachers are CIA agents who can hack into the Langley satellites faster than you can. I silently walked down the hallways and softly knocked on Mrs. Morgan's office door.<p>

"Come in." She said.

I slowly opened the door and slid in. She looked up from her desk and smiled her motherly smile.

"How can I help you, Liz?"

I didn't say anything. I could speak more languages than most people can name but at that moment, words couldn't form in my mouth. Cohesive thoughts were a physical impossibility.

She stood from her desk and slipped some papers in a file then walked around towards me.

"Is everything alright?" She questioned as she motioned for me to sit on the couch.

I just shook my head and sat down. I was quiet for a moment and could tell she wasn't about to pressure me into talking.

"Have you heard anything from my parents? Have they called at all?" I asked innocently. (Well, as innocent as a fifteen year old girl can be when she knows more national secrets than the President.)

She smiled sadly and shook her head. "I'm sure they'll call soon, sweetie." She said reassuringly. "Now. What else is going on?"

The bad thing about having an ex-CIA agent as the headmistress of your school is that you can never really lie or get away with much. So I told her. Everything. It was probably a mistake, and Cammie would probably get in a heck of a lot of trouble, but at the moment, I was angry and I didn't care.

Mrs. Morgan nodded and handed me a small package of peanut M&M's from her desk.

"I understand." She said.

I looked at her. I was expecting her to be harsh and for her to tell me that I needed to grow up and handle it on my own like a spy would. But, no- she simply said,

"I understand. Most of the girls with the exception of Macey don't understand what a normal life is. And that's not their fault, but they just weren't raised… well, normally! You bring something completely new to Gallagher! And that's the innocence that you have. The girls here are used to hearing their parents talk about assassinations, and missions, and danger, and that's something that they have had to grow up knowing about. But to them, PTA meetings and soccer games that don't involve nuclear warheads are totally foreign!"

I nodded and smiled softly.

"Did you attend Gallagher when you were in high school?" I asked timidly.

She smiled. "No. I grew up on the PTA meeting, soccer mom, honor student life that you had before this. And sometimes I wish I had never brought Cam here. Liz, your parents may never be able to know how extraordinarily brilliant you really are, but that doesn't mean they don't love you and that they aren't proud of you."

"But they haven't even called since I came back early from summer break…" I said quietly.

Mrs. Morgan smiled softly and said, "Well how about I call them and arrange for them to visit."

"But won't that put the school into a Code Red? For visitors?" I questioned.

She grinned and added, "I think it'll be worth it."

I smiled and stood up. "Thank you, Mrs. Morgan."

She smiled. "Don't worry about it, dear." And I knew she was genuine.

I started to make my way to the door then stopped. "Mrs. Morgan?"

"Yes?"

"Um, I was wondering about sleeping arrangements… Should I go back to my dorm?"

Then I saw the mischevious side of Mrs. Morgan and I knew that's where Cammie got hers.

"How about you stay in my guest room until the day before your parents come. You know- make Cammie, Bex, and Macey think you actually left?"

I laughed in disbelief, "Really?"

She nodded and laughed. "Yeah, I'll make sure the teachers don't spill and your room mates don't find out."

I grinned. "That sounds awesome, I'd love to, but how will I keep up with my classes?"

She grinned and said, "There's someone here who could teach you everything during your little escape. And don't worry," She said with a wink, "She's hiding from Cammie too."

* * *

><p><strong>Soooo, I hope yall enjoyed this chapter because it was honestly alot of fun to write! I felt that through the entire series + my fanfic, Liz had gotten very little attention and it was time for her to lose it(:<strong> **SO!**

**Okay, to answer a question I got in the review and from a few of my readers in person:**

**The Note that Cam left Zach:**

** I never specified what she said in it and I'm not sure If I ever will because frankly I have no idea! SO! That will be up to you! But my guess is that it went something along the lines of:**

_Blackthorne Boy,_

_Need to talk. SOS. _

_-C_

_(PS- Thanks for the jacket)_

**And yes. Okay, so I'm probably gonna get a few messages about what the heck WOOOSAHHHH is in this chapt. SO bring em on! lol but seiously. a friend of mine who is awesome and is probably reading this right now was telling me about it (And if you do it like Macey did it is SERIOUSLY calming!)** **And yeah, she's the awesome one I bounce ideas off of when we're supposed to be paying attention in class:)**

**And when you read this, dear, Garcia Ramirez and Hippie (inside joke, you know who you are!) "And then she like, grabbed the gun...I mean sword... and pointed it at zach, and was all like, Hazahhhhh!"**

**Okay, so now I'm gonna apologize for the really random authors note that this was! SO!**

**Read & Review please!**

**-Alli(:**


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

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><p><strong>Cammie's POV<strong>

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><p>I had gotten lucky, and luck in the clandestine business is a scarce commodity. Yesterday, due to the sheer brilliance-slash-clumsiness of Dr. Fibs, Bex and I were able to skip CovOps with the Evil Mr. Smith. (Yes, we actually refer to him as the <em>Evil Mr. Smith<em>.)

Today when we opened the doors to Sublevel Three, we were not met by the usual set of questions, P&E tests, and biometric scanners for entrance into the sublevel. No. We were met by something much worse- Something much more lethal.

_Men dressed in black._

_Men wearing gold rings with the insignia of The Circle of Cavan._

The fifteen of us flew into action- punching, kicking, and slapping their foreheads with Napotine patches. A man the size of a bulldozer grabbed my hair and flung me against the wall. My head careened against the cold, hard cement. As the back of my skull made contact with the wall, I felt a warm, red substance run down my neck and stain my crisp, white uniform shirt. Everything was spinning. I tried to open my eyes but it felt like a physical impossibility. With the rapidly depleting ounce of strength I had left I kicked him in the throat as he knelt down to hit me again, then slapped a Napotine patch on his forehead. He was out. And I was about to join him.

I saw another masked figure running towards me. "GET HER!" He yelled.

_Get her._

The last person who said that was Mrs. Goode. But this was a man… Zach's father, maybe?

The man jumped over Bex and Tina, who were about to take out another COC member, then slid on his knees towards me. I didn't have the strength to sit up. I probably had a concussion. I tried anyways. I couldn't move my arms. The man slid closer. I tried again. Relentlessly I attempted to force my muscles to let me take him out, but I couldn't. Everything was spiraling out into a black oblivion. There was nothing I could do. His hand shot out towards my face. Suddenly I felt nothing. I felt like I could conquer the world. Like a bomb seconds away from exploding. Harnessed potential energy that was about to become kinetic- Lethally kinetic.

I ripped his ski mask off.

_It was John Smith._

I punched him square in the face. I heard something crunch and assumed it was his nose.

John Smith cradled my head in his hand then removed it. I saw his hand covered in blood- my blood.

I kicked him in the throat, sending him a few feet away.

"Cammie, calm down, you're going to pass out." He choked out.

"Get away." Was all I could whisper.

He came towards me again. I punched him in the jaw. I was sure it would bruise. _Good._

He held my arms down.

I kicked him in the stomach.

I heard him groan. "Just like your mother."

"Bex!" I screamed. "Give me a NapoPatch!"

Bex came out of her fight like a Cuban missile. He shoved her away.

I smacked him across his face, letting my nails graze across the side of his face- under his eye, leaving a nice, bloodstained tear in his skin.

"Yep. You're your mother's child. But the nails..." He chuckled darkly. "The nails were an extra little package of fun."

Everything began to spiral again, except this time, it was faster and there was no escaping it. The momentary adrenaline I had used to fight against John Smith was gone. There was nothing I could do. And much like the nightmare I had a few days earlier, I felt hopeless- _helpless_.

And then, I heard him say something. He probably shouted it but it sounded so far away. Then again, I was spiraling into the unknown oblivion of dreamless sleep.

"Good job, Ladies. That was your CovOps exercise for today. You may return to your dorms."

Then everything went _black_.

The scary thing about losing consciousness isn't actually being unconscious. No. Being unconscious is the peaceful part. For once I slept and didn't dream. I didn't feel pain. I didn't feel the cold of Sublevel Three. I didn't feel the warmth of the person who carried me out. In fact, after everything went black, I didn't feel at all.

_And then I woke up._

I started to move. I tried to lift my head up but a hand gently pushed me back down.

"Just rest, sweetie." I heard my mom say.

I tried to nod, but honestly, I'm not sure if I actually did or not. I just drifted off to sleep as I felt a blanket being pulled over me.

A few hours later I woke up. I looked around and saw that I was in the infirmary. I moved my hand against my forehead and felt the soft but rigid texture of gauze and tape. I sighed and looked at the hand that was holding mine.

"Mom?"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"What happened?"

"A CovOps exercise, dear. Mr. Smith had the maintenance staff fight you ladies to see how ready you were. You have a concussion."

"But the rings…. They were COC rings.."

"Fakes." He scoffed then muttered, "Even I thought you were smart enough to figure that one out."

I glared at him.

"Yep. She's feeling better." He said under his breath.

My mom glared at him then said, "Maybe it would be better if you went back to your office."

"No, I'd actually like a word with Cammie."

I looked at my mom.

My mom looked at me.

"Cammie?" She asked. "Is that alright with you?"

I thought for a moment. Half of me actually wanted to hear what he had to say so that I could use it against him later or yell at him right then and there. (Or do both…) And the other half of me just wanted to defy him.

I went with the latter.

I looked at Smith and said firmly. "No."

I guess I sort of surprised my mother because she turned to Smith and said softly, "Sorry, I thought she would…"

"Cammie, please?" He asked.

"Oh please, you can't use the fake caring thing with me. It doesn't work and I'm trained not to trust you. Besides. You're a spy… and a terrible one at that." I said. Before he could say something in his defense, I said, "Mom? When is Mr. Solomon coming back?"

She just shrugged. "I'm not sure right now, Cams. Just whenever his mission finishes and he's debriefed I suppose. He didn't want to go, but he was the only one qualified to take it."

I nodded. "Oh…"

She gently squeezed my hand and added with a soft smile, "He'll come back. I promise."

I nodded again and closed my eyes, listening to the steady beat of the heart monitor.

"Mom?" I asked innocently.

"Hmm?"

"What about Liz?" I asked. "We had a fight yesterday and she left, then she didn't come back after lights out and wasn't there this morning…"

My mom nodded, "I know, Cam."

"Is she back? Where did she go?"

"Liz left yesterday. She went back to see her parents."

"She's coming back, right?" I asked.

My mom shrugged, "I'm not sure. She said she was going to talk to her parents about whether or not she should stay."

"But she has to!" I protested as I tried to sit up. Everything started spinning and I felt light headed again.

"Whoa, lay down, Cam." Mr. Smith said as he jumped up to help me down slowly.

"It's. Cammie. And. Don't. Touch. Me." I said through gritted teeth. I turned to my mom and pleaded, "I need to talk to her! I need to say that I was wrong!"

"Cammie, when I know for certain what her decision is, I will let you know along with Rebecca and Macey." My mom said.

I didn't know what to say so I nodded after a moment.

"Everything will be fine, Cam." She said as she stood up with the Evil Mr. Smith. "Besides," She added with a smirk. "Zach comes tomorrow."

Mr. Smith opened the door for her and they walked out. I smiled and closed my eyes.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow was Saturday.

Blackthorne comes on Saturday.

And Zach comes with Blackthorne.

Then with that, I drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

><p><strong>SO! Well wasn't that exciting! When I was in the process of writing this one, I skyped a friend of mine and sent her the excerpt from the fight scene where Cam gets knocked out and I was like, "It really sounds like I'm killing her off, doesn't it?" Haha I hope yall liked this one! This was another fun chapter to write! I had been thinking about doing a fight scene but it seemed so dauntingly terrifying that I strayed away for a few chapters, SO! This is it! <strong>

**ZACH'S COMING IN CHAPTER EIGHT!**

**SO! Here's what I need you to do! REVIEW THIS! And give me some feedback on:**

**1) Your thoughts on Cam & Liz's fight**

**2) Mr. Smith**

**3) Cam Vs. Abby**

**4) What should happen with the amazing Zachary Goode?**

**Please and Thank you!**

**Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease!**

**-Alli(:**


	9. Chapter Eight

**Zach: Well, I'm here now. So you kinda have to say it.**

**Alli: I don't wanna!**

**Zach: SAY IT!**

**Alli: -sighs- Fine...I don't own the Gallagher Girls series.**

**Zach: What else?**

**Alli: ...Or Zach...  
><strong>

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie's POV<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.<em>

I woke up to the steady hum of the heart monitor. My internal clock told me that it was 9:16 AM. My finger brushed over the IV that was still in my forearm and I sighed. I ached all over.

_Today was Saturday._

Blackthorne comes today.

I slowly tried to sit up, but my head hurt so much from being thrown against the wall by the half-man-half-bulldozer. I felt a hand against the gauze wrapped against my head. It slowly forced me to lay my head against the pillow. I didn't even bother to open my eyes.

"Mom?" I said weakly. "Are they here yet? What about Liz?" I asked.

No answer.

"Mr. Smith?" I groaned then rolled over on my side, away from him. "If it's you, then leave. I don't want to see you ever again and frankly it would be really nice if you would just go get hit by a bus."

No answer.

I rolled back over and opened my eyes.

"You know, Gallagher Girl- you really are a terrible guesser." The man said with a smirk.

_Zach._

"And If I were that Smith fellow, I would probably want to get hit by a bus too rather than face your revenge."

_Zach was in my infirmary room._

"After all." He began, "You've changed." Then he stood.

"See ya around, Gallagher Girl."

He walked towards the door and went to turn the doorknob.

"Zach, wait." I croaked out. My voice was hoarse. I guess it was from the drugs.

He stopped but didn't turn around.

I had no idea what I was supposed to say. I kind of had expected him just to leave. After all, he seemed pretty upset after the lake house fiasco back in the summer…

"I….. I missed you." Was the only thing that I could think to say.

"Good." He said sharply then opened the door and left.

I sat there in utter shock. He just... left.

The door opened again.

"So that's Zach, huh?"

_Smith._

"Leave." I demanded.

"You know." He said while sitting down in the chair that was previously occupied by Zach, "It's not really polite to speak to your teachers like that."

I crossed my arms and turned away from him like I had when Zach was there. "It's also not polite to start dating someone's mother, completely disrespect her father, and then try and kill her during a CovOps test." I spit back at him. "I can't wait till Mr. Solomon gets back."

"You and I both, kid." He muttered.

"Then why don't you do us both a favor and just leave."

"I can't."

"And why not. There's the door. Go down the hallway, take a right, then go out the main gate."

"I'm not leaving your mom. She deserves to be happy."

I scoffed. "And what about me? Are you actually so naïve to think that I'm okay with this?"

"No." He said sternly. "But I am aware that you're pushing everyone away. Your mom. Your Aunt Abby. Your room mate, Liz. Even your… uh… Zach." He said then added. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

Just then the nurse walked in and said, "Okay, Cams, I think you're alright to go." She turned off the IV and removed it from my forearm. I began to sit up slowly when Mr. Smith put his hand on my back and tried to help me up. "Don't. Touch. Me." I commanded. "This is all your fault!"

The nurse calmly avoided the conflict but stepped in between us (probably so I wouldn't kill him.) and said, "One more little test, just to make sure you're one hundred percent." She took a small flashlight from her pocket and turned it on. "Alright, now just follow the light with your eyes."

Right.

Left.

Down.

Up.

Right.

"Okay, you're good to go." She said cheerily. "Just make sure to take it easy until the bruise and cuts go away. No serious P&E for at least a week." She finished and tapped the bandage on my head.

I nodded and stood up, slipping on my flats. "Well I hate to cut this little meeting short." I said sarcastically to Mr. Smith. He rolled his eyes and walked to the door and opened it. "Fine by me. It was your mom's idea." He walked out and left the door open.

After going up to my room, changing clothes, and removing the bandage that revealed a hideous, bruised scar, I stepped out and went to the library.

Hm. Seventh graders…. Freshmen…. Tina and Kim…. Bex!

_Grant_?

"Cammie!" Bex shrieked as she barreled towards me. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah.. " I said timidly, waiting for her to pounce.

She did.

It hurt.

"Ow! Gosh, Bex! You forget how strong you are sometimes!"

"Well don't you dare scare me like that ever again!"

"Not my fault!"

I looked up and saw Brad Pitt's better looking twin's stunt double. (AKA: Grant Newman.)

He offered his hand so I gripped it and got up, then helped Bex up.

If I thought Bex was strong, boy was I wrong.

Grant enveloped me in a brotherly massive hug. "Cammie! Good to see you. In person. Not just sneaking glances at the notes Zach would drop!"

I choked out with what little oxygen my body still had, "Good to see you too. Can't breathe."

He loosened his grip and smiled sheepishly while standing beside Bex. "Sorry."

I pointed from Grant to Bex then back to Grant and Bex again. "So.. What's going on here?"

Bex glared.

Grant blushed.

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Grant Newman _blushed._

"Nothing." Bex said with her teeth gritted.

I raised my eyebrows and looked at Grant.

"Yeah… What she said.." He added.

I laughed lightly and said, "Whatever."

I turned to walk back to a bookshelf and Grant said, "Hey, you should really find Zach. He looked like he was looking for you."

"Oh. Maybe later." I added.

* * *

><p><strong>-3 hours later-<strong>

* * *

><p>Liz was gone. Grant and Bex had lied. And on top of everything else? Zach was missing. Then again, Chameleons don't go missing. They don't disappear. They camouflage.<p>

Earlier in the day, I had walked past my mom's office and over heard a phone conversation.

* * *

><p>"I wish you were here."<p>

….

"How the mission?"

….

"Cam hates him."

….

"When are you going to be back?"

….

"No, she's fine. I promise… Just a little unhappy with me at the moment."

….

"He said that he overheard her say to Zach she wished he would go get hit by a bus!"

….

"Yep. She's definitely related to her father, that's for sure."

….

"Joe, really. When are you coming back?"

….

"Look, if you don't get back soon I think she'll probably run away again!"

….

"You know I can't stop her, Joe. Neither can John."

….

"She trusts you like she trusted Matt."

….

"And Blackthorne is here too."

….

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner but things were a little crazy….Besides. I can't keep up with her and Zach."

….

"He needs you too, Joe."

….

"Okay. Talk to you soon."

….

"And Joe? Please be safe. _Please come back_."

* * *

><p>I walked back to my room and pulled out a shirt from a box hidden in my closet. It was an old, worn, navy blue, plaid, button- up, work shirt. I slipped it over me and then put on Zach's jacket. I walked through the hallways (unnoticed as usual) and slipped into my favorite secret passageway- the one behind Gilly's Sword. I pulled the small lever behind the stone in the corner and slipped through the door, closing it behind me.<p>

Walking through the secret passageways, my thoughts went blank. For once, there was nothing on my mind. I sat against a cut out corner and leaned my head against the wall that jutted out.

I pulled the blue plaid shirt closer to me and smelled it.

_Dad._

The mix of his cologne with a hint of the chocolate he always kept in the pocket for me. I closed my eyes and began to hum, remembering what he used to sing to me when I was about to go to sleep.

_A Chameleon is a funny thing,_

_It doesn't have a beak or wings,_

_No fur nor feathers nor anything,_

_Just scales that hide-_

I was cut off by a voice.

"Its true feelings."

I looked up, and through a small beam of sunlight that streaked in from a crack in a stone on the opposite wall, I could see Zach standing in front of me.

"The song…" He began. "That's how it ends, right?"

"Uh… yeah?" I said, still startled. (And amazed that he knew it.)

"How did you recognize it?" I asked.

He shrugged, leaning against the opposite wall, diagonal to me. "My dad used to sing it to me every night when he would tuck me in."

I nodded. "Mine too…"

"They were right, you know." He said while he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"About being chameleons?" I questioned, knowing we were of the same kind- pavement artists.

"No, about hiding everything." He stated.

"I think you've hidden more than I have." I muttered.

He raised his eyebrows and chuckled in disbelief. "When are you ever gonna get it?"

I crossed my arms. "Get what?"

He sighed. "Never mind."

I wasn't going to take that for an answer.

"Tell me."

"No."

"Zach."

"No! It's not important!" He snapped back.

"Obviously it is, Zach!"

"How could you be so reckless?" He shouted. "You scared all of us. Your mom. Solomon. Bex, Macey and Liz. Me. You don't get it, Cam!"

_Cam. _

_Not Cammie._

_Not Gallagher Girl._

_He wasn't playing or flirting._

_He was serious._

"Did you actually think you could run away for two months, chasing around my mom, trying to find your dad, and keep me away?" He yelled again. "And what was that business at the lake house! I wasn't following you, Cam! I was just trying to get away from Gallagher and Blackthorne for a few weeks!" He ran his hand over his hair in frustration. "You can't keep pushing people away like this!"

_Pushing people away. Pushing people away. Pushing people away._

Smith.

He agreed with Smith.

I was angry.

"Don't you dare make this seem like it's my fault! You could have easily told me who your mom was! You could have told me that YOU KNEW my dad was dead! You could have told me—"

"But I didn't!" He cut in. "I didn't because I wanted to protect you."

By this time I was standing in front of his as we were practically screaming at each other. "Protect me from what?" I yelled. "I don't need prote-"

_Then he kissed me._

It wasn't a lustful kiss. It wasn't hungry or ravenous. It was simply… _innocent_.

"I couldn't risk losing you too." He whispered. His hands were still on the back of my neck.

I leaned forward and let my forehead rest on his chest. "I'm sorry." I said softly.

He wrapped his arms around me and held me without saying a word.

We stood there for what seemed like infinity. I closed my eyes and listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

When I finally opened my eyes and looked up at him, I saw that his eyes were still closed.

He looked tired. Worn. Scarred.

He opened his eyes and looked at me.

I ran my thumb over a red cut that was barely hidden by his hair. I brushed it back and gently ran my thumb over it. "You should get that taken care of." I said softly.

He ran his hand over my bruised forehead and said, "You know something, Gallagher Girl? I could say the same about you." He chuckled softly. "Nice jacket, by the way."

I smiled softly. "Thanks. I found it laying around here. Someone must have dropped it.

"Well that wasn't very responsible of them. But maybe they had a good reason to leave it."

I smiled and stuck my hands in the pockets.

He chuckled and I looked at him inquisitively. Then I felt the soft, crinkled feel of evapopaper. I pulled it out and read it to myself then looked at him in shock.

He smiled nervously as I read it.

I looked up at him with a smile and said, "Really?"

* * *

><p><strong>Ahh! Cliff hanger! First off! Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews! Now, I'm gonna use this AN to clear up a few things:**

**-John Smith is not Solomon.**

**-John Smith is not Matthew Morgan.**

**-Solomon is on a mission**

**-Matthew Morgan is dead. **

**-John Smith is a few years older than Mrs. Morgan.**

**-Liz's character has evolved in my story, and I feel like through the entire GG series she has been under-appreciated, so if it were me, I probably would have gone off on Cammie too(:**

**SO! I hope you enjoyed this! Honestly it took me an eternity and a day to write! Next chapter will hopefully be up soon!**

**Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease!**

**-Alli(:**

**{PS- leave your thoughts on this chapter/ the story so far in a review!}**


	10. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>In a spy's life, you rarely follow a routine. Routine is what makes it easy for the enemy to trace you and plot against you. Routine means you let your guard down. Even at Gallagher classes change orders constantly. You never eat a meal at the same time every day. But if there's one thing that is consistent, it's my mom's insistence on our Sunday Night Dinners.<p>

Maybe it's the way that her office transformed from a formal place to a home. Maybe it's the way we would pretend to eat whatever she had concocted then both secretly slip into the kitchen later and get some leftovers of whatever Chef Louis had made. Maybe it was the way that it was just us. And even though we secretly wished that Dad was there, it finally felt like we were a family again.

I walked down the hallway and went open the door. I stopped. Something wasn't right. I listened, but I didn't hear voices. I stood there for a moment in absolute silence and analyzed everything. The sizzle of a skillet- The clink of ice in glasses- Then I heard something unusual.

Laughter.

Unless my mom had suddenly become schizophrenic, she was supposed to be the only one in there.

I slowly opened the door and stepped in.

My mom was sitting on her couch and looked across into her mini kitchen and she was smiling at someone.

_Smith._

I walked in a bit further and heard him talking to someone else.

"Zach?" I said, confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Wow. Thanks, Cam. I feel welcome." He replied with a chuckle.

I looked back at my mom and questioned, "What's _he_ doing here?" I said, referring to Smith.

"_Mr. Smith_, Cammie, is making dinner for us. And he also invited Zach to join."

I pulled my mom into her bedroom and closed the door.

"Why are you doing this?" I questioned in an angry whisper.

"Cam, when you're older, maybe you'll understand." She replied rationally.

"It's not just your life though! He's invading mine!"

"Cam." She said sternly. "He hasn't invaded your life because you haven't let him in."

She cracked the door slightly and we peered out, observing Smith and Zach laughing at each other and engaging in hand to hand combat as Mr. Smith stirred whatever was cooking in the skillet.

Zach hit a pressure point his neck then countered Smith's attack and flipped him.

_Yes!_

Smith landed on his feet.

_NO._

Zach stepped into a defense position and awaited Smith's attack.

Smith grinned and roundhouse kicked Zach in the thoat.

"NO!" I shrieked with my hands over my mouth.

They both stopped and looked at me.

Zach coughed slightly and chuckled. "Really, my mom shoots you and you freak out about _him_ kicking me? Please, He's…. old."

I laughed. My mom suppressed a smile. Smith glared at him.

My mom laughed at Smith's obvious embarrassment then came to the realization of what Zach had said.

"SHE DID WHAT TO YOU?"

_Crap._

My mom turned to Zach and yelled at him, "You actually let _that woman_ NEAR my daughter?"

"Mrs. Morgan, I-"

"SAVE IT, ZACHARY." She yelled.

"Rachel.." Smith said rationally, "Slow down, calm down, sit down-"

"DON'T YOU 'RACHEL' ME! WHERE'S MY GUN?"

"Mom! I'm fine now! It's over!" I said desperately.

She tried to push past Smith, but he stood his ground and picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, walking back to the kitchen table.

"IF YOU DON'T PUT ME DOWN, I WILL END YOU!" She screamed.

Zach leaned over and whispered. "I've never seen your mom like this…. ever."

"I've only seen her like this once." I replied in a hushed tone, being drowned out by My mom's screaming and Smith's yelling.

"When was that?" He asked.

I hesitated.

He looked at me with concern.

"The only time she was this hysterical was when my dad was announced as MIA." I whispered.

He nodded.

By this time, Smith had managed to turn off the stove so that dinner wouldn't burn, and was trying to rationalize with my mom.

"Rachel. Breathe. Think. You're not being a very good spy right now." Smith said.

"Not like _you're_ _ever _a good spy." I muttered under my breath.

He looked at me.

It wasn't a glare, but it surely wasn't a kind look.

"That's it." He announced with the grit of his teeth.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the main room in my mom's office and practically threw me into a chair, shutting the door behind him.

"What the heck do you think you're doing!" I yelled as I got up and moved to the door.

He pushed me back down in the chair and said firmly, "Sit."

"I'm not a dog."

"Oh really? Because dogs obey better than you."

"Excuse me?"

"You're excused. Now listen."

"No."

"Yes."

"I don't want to."

"You don't have a choice."

"You're not my father!"

"But I AM your authority. I AM your CovOps teacher and you WILL do as I say!"

"You're NOT Joseph Solomon!" I screamed. "And if you're actually naïve enough to think you're staying once he comes back, you really are a stupid man."

"Cameron-"

"It's Cammie. You have no right to call me Cameron or Cam."

"Joe Solomon called you Cameron." He pointed into the kitchen where Zach was having a rational conversation with my mom. "You let him call you Cam." He turned back to me. "Neither of those men are you father."

"That's different and you know it. They've _earned_ their place."

"You never shut them out."

"They never gave me reason to."

"Then what's your reason for keeping me away! Because honestly, Cammie, I'm really getting sick and tired of you giving me a very hard time for trying to help you!"

"My mom started dating you practically the minute she found out that my dad was dead. And you didn't have the common sense to oh, I don't know, _GIVE ME SOME TIME TO GET OVER IT_! It's not just her life! It's mine too!"

"So this is only about my relationship with your mother?"

"You wish."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I guess you'll have to figure that out on your own."

I walked back into the other room where my mom and Zach were sitting in absolute silence.

"How much did you hear?" I asked timidly.

"Enough." My mom said coldly.

I looked at Zach for comfort but all I saw were the icy grey eyes of his mother.

Smith walked in and sat in between Zach and my mother. The rest of the meal was completed in a deafening silence.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, first off- my apologies. <strong>

**This chapter was AWFUL! And I take full responsibility for it! This chapter and the next aren't going to be major-event-chapters, and thus i really have no inspiration. SO. Tell me what should happen in the next chapter (otherwise you'll probably end up with another boring chapter like this.) **

**IN CHAPTER ELEVEN! There's going to be another REVEAL! (Like Smith's reveal and Zach's reveal.) **

**And I'm really sorry for this one taking SO long to put up! (along with the terrible job I did in writing it.) I'm right in the middle of midterms SO things are a little crazy. Once i'm on break, I hope to put up chapters more frequently.**

**SO. That's the end of my incredibly long A/N.**

**Yeah.**

**R&R (and yes. please criticize this chapter! lol)**

**Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease!**

**-Alli(:**


	11. Chapter Ten

**DISCLAIMER: Ally Carter owns the original Gallagher Girls Series... No matter how much I wish I did:(  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Ten<strong>

**Cammie's POV**

* * *

><p>The Clandestine business is one of relationships. Everything you are is built upon the trust or mistrust of someone else. Sometimes you must forge a relationship with someone to earn their trust, only to turn on them and take them down.<p>

The scary thing about conducting deals with covert intentions is not in the actual execution of the arrangement. No. The part that makes your blood curdle is when trust is lost before it is used.

The thought that I had lost Zach's trust petrified me. As completely horrible as it sounds, he was my in road to the inner workings of the Circle of Cavan.

It wasn't supposed to be like this, though. None of this was _supposed_ to happen. I was _supposed_ to come back to Gallagher with the feeling of liberation. Everyone was _supposed_ to be re-united again- Macey, Liz, Bex, and myself. Zach and Solomon were _supposed _to be here. My mom was _supposed_ to be her usual self. And Mr. Smith was _supposed_ to be, well, _not here_.

I walked up to the Pigeon room after a dinner of silence and bad pasta. (Although, let's be honest- Smith's a way better cook than my mom…)

The security team had posted a sign on the door saying, "Do Not Enter. Off Limits." I scoffed and opened it anyways. Signs had never really bothered me, but then again, limits, barricades, and armed guards never really phased me either.

I opened the door and promptly closed it behind me. Everything was exactly as it had been last semester. With the exception of the code Solomon had on the blackboard being gone, _that room_ was like it was _supposed_ to be.

I sat down in one of the chairs and closed my eyes.

I had never been close to Joe Solomon or cared much for him, for that matter, but he was my godfather, and he had practically sacrificed himself for me. And all of that aside, he was a heck of a lot better at teaching CovOps than Smith.

He had brought me closer to finding my father than anyone, including my mother, had. He left us clues to the journals he and my father kept during their time at Blackthorne.

At Langley, he was a file marked, _Classified_. At the Circle of Cavan headquarters, he was a threat. At Blackthorne, he was a legend and a ghost. At Gallagher, he was just a teacher. He was a teacher making more legends. The thing is, legends are really useless unless they're living. What good is the story of the best spy in history if he or she is dead? Contrary to popular belief, legends never let themselves be exposed. After all, to be worth anything, you have to be a living legend.

"Why are you here?" A voice asked. A voice that belonged to Zach.

"Why do you care?" I replied.

"Why are you breaking rules?" He said while pointing to the Do Not Enter sign.

"Since when do I _not_ break rules?" I said nonchalantly.

He shrugged and pulled up a chair then sat infront of me. "What happened to you, Cam?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've changed. And it's not good."

"Who are you? Dr. Phil?" I remarked.

He shrugged and stood, "I thought I was a little more important than that."

"I can't wait for Solomon to come back." I muttered.

"You know he can't change any of this, right?"

"What do you mean?"

He chuckled. "Have you seriously been so caught up with yourself that you didn't take time to figure out why he's gone?"

"He's on a mission, Zach. I'm not stupid."

He laughed in disbelief. "You're actually gonna believe that? Don't you know he was-"

Before he could finish, the school turned upside down.

I rushed to the window and looked out. All was calm on the outside except for a long, black limousine pulling in the driveway.

"Who's that?" Zach asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. We should probably get downstairs though, this is a Code Red, _they're not operatives_."

We hurried down to the grand hall and waited with everyone else. Bex slipped in beside me and Grant barreled down the stairs and stood beside Zach. Macey made her entrance like the supermodel she is. I sighed.

_No Liz._

"Do you think this is Liz coming back?" I asked Bex. "Macey's here and there aren't any other civilians at Gallagher…"

Bex shrugged, "Beats me. I haven't heard from her since she moved out."

"Maybe she decided to come back." Macey suggested.

I head Zach mutter something about how Gallagher girls are inferior because of all our 'rich girl drama' in Portuguese. I elbowed him in the side as hard as I could and stood there as he fell back, taking Grant down with him, while Jonas just stood there and laughed.

The doors opened and a very short- very rotund couple walked through. 156 pairs of peering eyes stood at the strangers.

"ELIZABETH!" The woman screamed.

Liz scrambled through the crowd of students and teachers and ran into the lady's open arms.

"Liz?" We all said simultaneously.

She flashed us a grin and then winked at my mom.

Bex, Macey, and I stood there dumbfounded.

How in the world had _Liz_ managed to pull this off? I mean, fool one of us, sure- it's possible. But all three of us? No way.

Just then, Abby walked up behind me and smirked, "Gotcha, Squirt."

* * *

><p><strong>Alrighty. So this was kind of a filler chapter, just to tie up a few loose ends. <strong>

**JUST IN CASE YALL DIDN'T CATCH THIS:**

**-Liz is BACK! (woot woot!)**

**-Abby was the one tutoring Liz while she was in hiding.**

**-JOHN SMITH IS NOT MATTHEW MORGAN.**

**-JOHN SMITH IS NOT JOSEPH SOLOMON.**

**-JOHN SMITH _IS_ JOHN SMITH.**

**-I AM NOT TRICKING YOU ON THIS! JOHN SMITH IS ACTUALLY HIMSELF! SO IF I GET ONE MORE REVIEW OR MESSAGE ASKING IF SMITH IS SOMEONE ELSE I'M PROBABLY GONNA SCREAM! (okay, not really scream, but you know what I mean:)**

**SO.**

**Here's a preview of what's to come:**

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: Dun Dun Duuuuhhhhhh- BIG REVEAL! Who do you think it is?**

**-We find out more about SMITH!**

**-What do you think Zach was going to say before everything went all Code Red?**

**So there you have it!**

**Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease(:**

**-Alli(:**


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Gallagher Girls Series or any of its ideas, characters, or affiliates. (Wow that sounded official.)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eleven<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>Bex and I walked into Sublevel Three on Monday morning. Right, right, left, down the hallway, turn the corner at the suit of armor, and there's the CovOps3 classroom.<p>

_Pitch black._

We walked in and slid down into our seats. The darkness wasn't a hindrance, but it surely wasn't calming. As spies, though, we've learned to accommodate.

As soon as everyone sat down, someone walked to the front and asked,

"What is the capital of Brunei?"

"Bandar Seri Begawan," We all replied.

"The square root of 97,969 is …" The voice asked in Swahili.

"Three hundred and thirteen," Courtney answered in Cantonese.

"A Dominican dictator was assassinated in 1961," The voice said in Portuguese. "What was

his name?"

"His name was Rafael Trujillo." Bex answered in Farsi.

The game, however, took a slight turn when the voice said, "Close your eyes."

The voice had _changed_.

It didn't sound like Smith anymore.

It sounded… _familiar_- much like the questions he had asked.

The capital of Brunei…. The square root of 97,969…. The Dominican dictator…. The command to close our eyes….

_Sophomore year CovOps_.

Mick raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Morrison." The voice asked- sounding like Smith again.

"Why are the lights off, Mr. Smith?" She asked timidly.

"Miss Morrison," The voice began again, sounding exactly like Madame Dabney, "I cannot believe that after two years of Covert Operations training by Mr. Solomon, and a partial semester's training by Mr. Smith, that you have the audacity to ask such a question, and much less, to address me as Mr. Smith."

"My sincerest regrets, Madame Dabney." She replied in a formal tone- trying to avoid offending her again.

"What makes you think I'm Madame Dabney?" The voice asked, imitating the tone and enunciating of Dr. Fibs.

Zach looked at me with a puzzled expression. "Has this happened before, Gallagher Girl?"

The voice snapped again- this time, sounding like Joseph Solomon, "Goode, you will address me and no one else. Also, you will refer to Cammie as Miss Morgan or Cammie."

"I'd like to know who you are first." Zach replied with a cocky tone to his voice.

You could have heard twenty people gasp at the tenacity of Zach to say such a thing. (Obviously Blackthorne doesn't have a Madame Dabney. The just have drill sergeants.)

"Zachary, that's not polite." The voice said.

I cringed.

It sounded like my mother… Like… exactly like my mom.

"Cam, which eye did Liz wink at you with?" The voice said, switching to Abby's tone.

I hesitated and something clicked in my mind.

"How would you know unless you were there, _Abby_. And you didn't walk into the room until exactly thirty six seconds after the wink. All vantage points from every other angle would not have been able to see the wink; therefore, you can't possibly be Abby Cameron." I said while gaining strength and confidence.

Even through the dim glow of the exit sign, I saw the flash of a white smile. The others began to catch on quickly.

Process of elimination- one of the most basic tools in the covert trade: find your enemy by knowing who he or she _isn't_. Look for the discrepancies in their information- flaws in their legends. Find out what they should know and make sure they know it. Never give out information without a question.

"Miss Lee- on your P&E final, what was the kick that you failed to execute properly?" The voice said while sounding like my mother.

"_Headmistress Morgan_," She replied, "You should know- after all, you review all of our final examinations. And if you had, then you would know I received a perfect score on all elements of the P&E exam, therefore you could not possibly be Headmistress Morgan, Madame Dabney, or Dr. Steve considering they all review our scores and failures."

"I assure you, folks," The voice began in an average, unrecognizable tone, "You _do_ know who I am. I've given you clues. Use your memory: _Focus_."

Bex and I looked at each other.

"Miss Alvarez," The voice said again, while imitating Professor Buckingham, "During your Countries of the World test last Tuesday, you were deducted seven points for your lack of courtesy while partaking in a Middle Eastern eating ritual."

"Actually, _Professor_, I got extra credit for my knowledge of their eating rituals; therefore you cannot be the _real_ Professor Buckingham."

The little game was starting to get into a steady rhythm when the voice said,

"Close your eyes."

_Close your eyes_.

It sounded... so familiar… but I couldn't place where I recognized it or when I had heard it…

"Think. Think back to what I've said. Every single _Gallagher_ student should recognize something."

_The questions_!

The lights came on.

Nothing could have prepared us for who we saw standing in front of us.

_Joe Solomon_.

"Ladies, I came here two years and taught your first Coops class. What was the first assignment I gave you?"

Bex raised her hand. "Notice things."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, you've failed."

Yep, Solomon was back.

He sat on top of the desk that was in the center front of the classroom.

Grant raised his hand.

"What do you want, Newman." Solomon replied in an irritated tone while crossing his arms.

"How've you been, Mr. S?" Grant replied innocently.

Bex smacked him upside the head and he cowered back.

Not many things have the ability to scare Grant Newman, but one thing that could instantly tranquilize him was the threat of Rebecca Baxter.

"Mr. Solomon, where's Mr. Smith?" I asked to break the silence.

"He's a little… tied up... with the junior CovOps class…" Solomon chuckled.

(And may I mention that when _Solomon_ says he's 'tied up', it's most likely in the literal sense.)

Just then Abby opened the door then froze when she saw Solomon.

"I- uh… I should go find Smith…." She stuttered.

The fifteen Gallagher girls and five Blackthorne inmates- slash- assassins couldn't even comprehend what happened next.

Abby ran out.

_Solomon ran after her_.

"Abs, wait!" Was all we heard as the rush of footsteps had disappeared.

We sat there in a daze of absolute silence and confusion.

_What the heck had just happened?_

The bell rang and signaled the end of the school day.

_Good._

Grant, Bex, Zach, and I had met up with Liz after class and told her what happened.

"Sounds like Solomon's hiding something." Liz said while she flipped through her textbook.

We had crashed in the library and commandeered two tables, pushing them together and sprawling out everywhere. Grant and Zach were attempting to catch up on four weeks of Culture and Assimilation that they missed. (C&A is probably the hardest subject for Blackthorne students to…. assimilate into. After all, they're 'assassins' and 'troubled kids'- not snobby rich girls- slash- spies who've been to every boarding school in the country before being 'dumped' at Gallagher- the type who spend breaks vacationing in Paris or St. Thomas.)

"But what? I mean, he was on a mission for a few weeks then all of a sudden he's back? And what was his deal with Abby anyways?" I asked.

Bex shrugged. "Beats me." She stood and put her bag on her shoulder and gathered her text books. "I've gotta go." She said in a frustrated way. "One of the P&E teachers is making me take care of Little Mary Suicide after I kicked her in the face during sparring. They're caring for her like she's a broken baby bird- it's pathetic." She tossed her hair to the side and pushed her chair in.

"What are you talking about, Bex?" Zach asked while leaning back on the legs of his chair.

"She kicked Tina in the face during P&E and the nurse was less than impressed by how badly her nose was broken." I said.

Grant and Zach burst into a fit of laughter as Liz sat there a gasp. "_You_ were the one who did _that_?"

Bex adjourned to taking care of Tina and the rest of us continued on our homework.

Grant and Zach fired C&A questions at me that they didn't understand. (Some of which, I might add, were a bit ridiculous. Do they honestly not teach you to tuck in your shirt at Blackthorne?) Macey slid into a seat beside me and asked questions about her Advanced Organic Chemistry homework while I managed to finish my CovOps Critical Thinking packet. (Which really, if you were in those situations, you don't have time to think about what to do! Good thing we, as spies, rely on adrenaline and instincts.)

Zach closed his book and leaned back in his chair, "That is the most pointless thing in the world."

Macey and I rolled our eyes.

"What? It is! All that fancy proper stuff." He made a face. "Why can't the CIA just let us storm the place, shoot the target and leave! Girls make things _so_ complicated."

Macey kicked him under the table.

In the shin.

Hard.

Bex came back down into the library after checking on Tina and plopped down in a chair across from me.

"So what's the plan, captain?" Macey asked.

"What do you mean, Mace?"

"Well, I heard about what happened with Solomon during your CovOps and I just assumed you would have concocted some madly brilliant plan."

Liz looked at me as Jonas walked over and sat by Grant. "She's right, Cam."

Grant and Zach looked confused.

"Exactly how many times have you four done this scheming bit?" Grant asked.

Bex thought for a moment then asked, "Is that counting civilians or just teachers?"

Zach rolled his eyes.

I shrugged then said, "Take down Smith. Obviously he has something against Solomon who is on our side, and managed to turn Abby against Solomon, thus turning her against us, and then there's the possibility that my mom is on Smith's side too."

"Huh?" Macey said, confused on how I put that together within the span of twelve seconds.

"Basically we take down three trained, veteran agents in order to figure out why one- who could beat all of them blindfolded- left and what he's hiding."

"So are we going after Smith or Solomon?" Macey asked timidly.

"Smith." I said. "He's the first target. "My guess is that neither he nor my mom knows anything about Solomon's appearance at the school today."

Jonas nodded.

"You people are barking mad. There's no way on earth that this could possibly work." Bex laughed. "First off, Smith doesn't trust you, Abby doesn't like you, and your mom is the smartest person on earth."

"But there's me…" Liz said.

Everyone turned and looked at her.

_Had Elizabeth Sutton- THE Elizabeth Sutton, just volunteered herself for field work?_

"What? While I was hiding from Cammie, I stayed with Abby. She's pretty cool and we got along well." Liz said.

"She's got a point." Jonas said. "She would be the obvious choice for us but the least obvious to go up against Abby."

"Just one problem." Grant said. "Abby could snap Liz in half with two fingers."

Liz turned a deep shade of red. "Not true…" She muttered.

"That won't be a problem." Bex said. "Abby's still recovering from her last mission and probably wouldn't push it by fighting a student- much less Liz."

There were nods and 'okays' from everyone seated around the table.

"So what about Smith?", I asked. "He would know something's up if all of a sudden I begin acting like I don't want him to be hit by a bus."

Zach muttered something about my violence issues and I promptly smacked him in the arm. He smirked and said sarcastically, "Yeah… _You're not violent at all_."

I rolled my eyes, "So what are we going to do about him."

Glances were exchanged through the silence. Finally, Zach piped up and said, "Well… He doesn't totally hate me…"

The six of us were floored.

_Zach and Liz working together_? That was a recipe for disaster.

Of course, they've never expressed their hatred for each other- well… actually they have. If I recall correctly, Zach said Liz was a wimp and a useless team member that would be better suited for Wall Street. Liz had countered that remark by making it known that she felt Zach was a complete and utter waste of testosterone and the only thing he could manage was having sarcasm and a gun.

They sound like great partners, right?

"You think we can actually pull this off with _them_ being our two field agents?" Macey asked.

"It'll be tough." I said while glaring at Zach.

He raised his hands in surrender and said, "As long as she doesn't go all crazy nerd on me I'll be fine."

Liz just smiled sweetly and said, "Don't worry, Zach, I'll have you dead by the morning." Contempt for him was dripping from her words.

Smirks, laughter, and grins were hidden as Zach glared back at her.

"Fantastic." Bex said sarcastically. "Why don't we just use two monkeys fighting over one banana. They would probably get more accomplished!"

"Bex…" I sighed.

"So when does this little escapade commence?" Jonas asked while nonchalantly flipping through his Advanced Encryption and Decoding book.

Bex had begun thumbing through my copy of _A Spy's Guide to Underground Russia_.

I snatched it back from her and said, "Tomorrow morning. 700 hours."

* * *

><p><strong>So there ya have it! Solomon's BACK! <strong>

**To be honest, I was kinda proud of this chapter. Usually I hate having multiple people in a conversation, but I had everyone there! And it was kinda long! The really depressing thing is, when I write the original version on Microsoft Word, it's like seven pages long, then I look at it on here and I'm just like, "That's it? I know I wrote more! It's so short!" But yeah. SO**

**Q&A Time! :) [Okay, first off, I really love getting questions about the story in reviews or inboxing so PLEASE keep them coming! I honestly do read every single review and message I get!] SO!**

**1.) John Smith: Smith is not related to any of the Morgans or Camerons. (aka: Rachel, Abby, or Cammie.) I put that he was a few years older because on a previous chapter review I received, someone asked how old he was. For him to be dating Rachel Morgan, he would be her age or older, so I put him as a few years older. In my fanfic, Smith is merely a 3rd Party Character. I'll give you a hint, though, he is hiding something! But he really is who I say he is.**

**2.) Zammie: Alright, lets just get this out of the way because I think I probably failed to mention it. This is not going to be a huge Zach/Cammie story. My goal in writing this was to make it as realistic as possible- like it could slide into GG5. (when it comes out.. MARCH 2012!) So basically it's gonna be adventurous/focused/not Zach & Cam jumping into bed every time they see each other. Ally Carter wouldn't write that and neither would I. There will be a few Zach/Cam chapters but nothing sexual.**

**3.) Cammie: A few of you have mentioned that she seems out of character. I appreciate your astuteness in comparing her to her original self in the GG Series, but if you were her- after her summer of hunting down the COC and everything she's seen, she probably would push people away, be irritable, and be a little more headstrong. She's changed and Zach has taken note of that. We'll have to see where it goes.**

**4.) The Icy Glare from Zach: A few of you asked about it and made it VERY clear that you did not like Cammie seeing Zach's mom in his eyes during the Sunday night dinner. I guess I should have clarified that, but to be honest, that was a frustrating chapter to write and I didn't feel like stressing anymore over it. SO. To explain: Zach wasn't acting like his mom or being hateful towards Cam. When Cam looked at him, she felt guilty for being so awful to Smith and her Mom and her guilt was shown through what she saw in him. Maybe something to the effect of the way he looked at her was the way she saw his mom during her summer mission. Maybe a type of PTSD. (Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder.) SO. Yeah(:**

**I think that's all! Please please please leave your questions/ comments in a review or message them to me! (Or both:)**

**Thank you to all my wonderful readers! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!**

**Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease!**

**-Alli(:**


	13. Author's Note

**-Sigh-**

**I promised myself I wouldn't do one of these. Frankly, they kind of annoy me. But here goes:**

**Okay,**

**So I completely realize that I haven't updated in FOREVER and I feel REALLY guilty about that! I have a insanely busy week with school and whatnot, so HOPEFULLY after Saturday I'll have Chapter 12 up!**

**Again, I'm really sorry for the wait! Please hang with me guys! Yall are seriously the best readers in the world!**

**(And If I don't have Chapter 12 up by Sunday : Jan. 15, 2012; then yall have every right to spam the review section and message me that I'm procrastinating!)**

**Also, leave questions in the reviews or message me.**

**-I usually respond to messages right when I read them, but questions submitted as reviews are posted at the end of whatever chapter's next.**

**So I think that's it!**

**Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease!**

**-Alli(:**


	14. Chapter Twelve

**Okay, Just for the record, I'm really sorry for the super long wait on this one! Disclaimer: I own nothing!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twelve<strong>

**Zach's POV**

* * *

><p><em>Let's get one thing straight. <em>

_My name is Zachary Goode. _

_I am a student at The Blackthorne Institute for Boys; however, I am currently attending The Gallagher Academy in Roseville, Virginia._

_During Junior Year, Blackthorne did an exchange with Gallagher in which 20 of us guys took classes at Gallagher. _

_That was the year that I met Cameron Ann Morgan. _

_We had a few classes together and occasionally hung out. _

_The day that we left to go to Blackthorne, I kissed her in the middle of the Grand Hall. Everyone was watching and I swear she was gonna kill me right there, but when I saw her face, the only thing I saw was hope._

_Stupid hope._

_The Morgans are full of it- Hope. It's like they bleed hope. I don't get it. Sometimes I wonder how they do it. Cammie losing her dad, knowing my mom killed him, Mrs. Morgan losing her husband, Abby losing her brother-in-law and watching her family grieve. _

_I lost my dad and my mom- well... She's kind of psychotic. _

_My mom didn't send me to Blackthorne until I was a freshman. She said she wanted me to stay away from the family business as long as possible._

_Then my dad died._

_Then she lost it._

_Then I went to Blackthorne._

_-I was bitter and angry._

_Then I met Cammie._

_Everything that happened this summer with her scared me._

_Sure. I had been scared before, but not REALLY scared. _

_When I saw Cammie hunched over her dad's lifeless body, it practically killed me. For a moment, I saw myself doing the exact same thing over my dad when he was killed. _

_It hurt but I wasn't scared._

_Not until I saw my mother hiding in the shadows with an assault rifle. _

_I'm surprised it didn't kill her._

_I'm surprised she escaped with only one bullet wound._

_I'm surprised my mom didn't catch me._

_But to be honest, that moment made me think._

_Before that moment, she had been a target: a mission- Someone my aforementioned psychotic mother had told me to get rid of. _

_And until I saw her crouched over her dad's body I had every intention of following through with it. _

_That was until I heard the gunshot._

_That was until I saw her lying there, unconscious._

_That's when I realized that I couldn't kill her. And I couldn't let her die like that._

_Because as I saw her there, I realized something:_

_For the first time, I let myself step out of denial and admit that I-_

"Zach! Hurry up! You know, you probably take longer to get ready than Macey!"

I groaned. "Crap." I muttered. I had forgotten that today began the espionage of the great John Smith. I closed the spiral bound notebook that held the secrets of the summer and slid it into the plastic bag. I looked at it and chuckled softly. It certainly wasn't very secure, and it certainly wasn't up to par with good hiding techniques, but I figured that if a forty-nine cent notebook and a plastic bag had worked for Solomon and Cam's dad, it must be a pretty good recording and storage technique.

I pulled my uniform shirt on and ran my hands through my hair. Not too shabby. I hid the notebook under my mattress (VERY covert- I know.) and opened the door to see a fuming Gallagher girl.

"Patience, Gallagher girl. You're acting like we have an important mission or something." I smirked.

She groaned and stomped her foot, "Zach, stop messing around. It's not funny."

I chuckled. I don't know why, but she's just so much fun to test. She huffed and crossed her arms, "Come on, Blackthorne boy. Get serious for once." I smirked and leaned against the doorframe. "Come on, Gallagher girl." I said, mocking her, "I'm always serious." She grabbed my arm and pulled me out the door. "Whoa, watch it, Cammie." I grinned. She rolled her eyes and smacked my stomach. "I mean it Zach!" I sighed and brushed past her. "I know."

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>I stormed into the P&amp;E Barn and looked around. It was empty.<p>

I stood there in the silence for a moment and took in every ounce of what made me love this place more than some of the passageways or the Pigeon Room.

The light streaking in from the ceiling-

The peaceful whoosh of the trees and the chirp of the birds-

The steady rhythm of gloves on a punching bag….

Huh?

"Zach." I growled. _I was angry and I wanted him to know_.

He didn't respond. He just kept beating the bag.

"Zach!" I said, practically screaming across the barn. I stomped over to him and held the punching bag so it wouldn't move.

"What." He said; focusing on the next spot he would hit.

"What happened to you today? You were supposed to recon on Smith, NOT skip class and swap stories!" I yelled.

He bounced on his toes for a moment before hurtling his fist into the bag, sending it careening into my stomach. I groaned and laid on the floor.

"Cheap shot." I muttered.

"Hey, it was an open shot. I'll take what I can get." He retorted.

I got up and crossed my arms. "Seriously, Zach. Why didn't you follow the plans?"

He shrugged, "Didn't feel like it."

I scoffed in disbelief. "Really. _You didn't feel like it_? I don't care whether you feel like it or not, Zach! This is not a game to me!"

He looked at me and took another swing, this time not at the bag- at my head. I ducked and countered by grabbing his wrist and shoving it back into his arm.

"Did you ever realize that maybe, just maybe, Smith isn't the bad guy here?"

He leaped for me and tackled me to the ground. I tried to flip myself up but I was trapped under his weight. His forearm was pressing down on my collarbone and I was quickly losing oxygen. I smacked the sparring mat with my hand to signal that he won. He got off me and helped me up. As soon as He grabbed my wrist to pull me up, I flipped him back on the ground.

"Then who is the bad guy, Zach?" I yelled.

He tossed me off of him like a ragdoll and I kicked his feet out from under him.

"I dunno." He said, trying to regain his breath. "But Smith- He's the real deal, Cam."

We laid on the sparring mat- feet away from each other – for what felt like an eternity.

"Zach?"

"Yeah?"

"What did you guys talk about?"

He shrugged.

"Just life."

Another eternity passed before I spoke again.

"Why do you think Solomon's gone?"

"I dunno, Cam."

"Don't you trust him?"

"Yeah….. Do you?"

"I think so."

"That didn't sound very confident, Gallagher girl."

I sighed. "I guess… I trust you… and you trust him. So I should."

"You trust me?"

There was silence for two minutes and thirteen seconds before I added, "Yeah. I think I do."

* * *

><p><strong>SO! There's you ZachCam chapter! And honestly, I'm really really sorry for the wait on this! It was a mix of writer's block/a paper due/craziness with school/and well... procrastination. **

**And thank you to all the people who left me messages on Sunday asking why it wasn't up yet! And I totally realize I'm two days late on this! UGH! Really, If you've never written a FanFic before, I encourage you to! It's more pressure than you would think and now I TOTALLY have more respect for writers!**

**A Few things:**

**-Ally Carter's new website! Check it out! There are some short stories on there leading up to GG5!**

**-Leave me questions in the reviews or message me!**

**-PLEASE review! Really, it makes me want to write faster and occasionally gives me inspiration! Let me know what you would like to see happen!**

**-Yeaaahhhh. I'll try and get on Chapt. 13 REAL soon!**

**Alright!**

**Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease!**

**-Alli(:**


	15. Chapter Thirteen

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Gallagher Girls Series or any of its affiliates... or Zach...**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Zach's POV<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Betray:<em>

_To give aid or information to an enemy of; commit treason against__, __to deliver into the hands of an enemy in violation of a trust or allegiance; __t__o be false or disloyal; __t__o divulge in a breach of confidence: betray a secret; __t__o make known unintentionally; __t__o reveal against one's desire or will; __t__o lead astray; deceive._

I'm an idiot.

Let's just put it that way.

I'm an idiot to think that I would be able to be loyal to my crazy sauce mother _and_ protect Cammie. I'm also an idiot to think that I can hide anything from either one of them. _Them_ being the two strongest, strong- willed, and determined women I know. (That is, of course, apart from my Aunt Janice when she wants her husband, Drew, to act like her personal chauffer and butler. _That_ woman can be evil.)

I groaned and rubbed the back of my neck with my hand.

"You alright?" Cammie said.

"Fine."

She raised her eyebrows. "Liar." She muttered.

"Am I lying, Gallagher girl?" I smirked and leaned over the table that separated us, opening my eyes wide.

She glared at me and looked back at the papers that were spread out over the table we were working at. "So you've gotten better at controlling your eyes, congratulations." She said un-amused and sarcastically.

I chuckled and glanced back down at the paper that was lying in front of me.

"This is pointless."

"You say that about everything." She replied without looking up.

"Not everything."

"Most everything."

"You'd like to think that wouldn't you." I smirked.

"Zachary," Professor Buckingham interrupted, "Mr. Smith has requested your presence in his office."

Cammie looked at me with a puzzled face.

"Sorry, gotta run." I muttered as I grabbed papers and slid them in the cover of a book and dropped the books in my bag.

Buckingham strutted away and Cammie leaned back in her chair. "Smith asked to see you? What for?"

I shrugged and shoved my hands in my pockets. "Beats me." I said as I pushed in my chair.

"You're really going to use that excuse?" She said coldly while clearing the table of her belongings.

"It's not an excuse."

"Then what is it."

"The truth."

"The truth is starting to get blurry with you, Zach."

He shrugged, "Not my fault."

She gave me a look that was a mix between confused and annoyed and then added, "Uh, yeah, actually it is."

I smirked and leaned against the book shelf, "What happened to you trusting me?"

"Trust only goes so far, Zach." She said.

"Well get flexible and stretch it." I said.

She crossed her arms and stood a foot away from me, "What is your problem?"

I crossed my arms and mocked her, "I don't know, why don't you tell me."

"You're really full of yourself, you know that?"

I smirked and leaned closer, "Yup." I grinned and replied, popping the 'p' like she always did.

Cammie glared at me and practically shot daggers from her eyes. "Zach, get serious for once."

Where the heck did that come from?

My brow furrowed and I stared into her eyes, "Cam, just drop it." I turned to leave and go to Smith's office, but her hand shot out and grabbed my arm. "What." I said.

"When you're gonna be real and tell me what's up, find me. Until then, get real."

_Then she back handed me across the face and walked off_.

Since when did she get so moody?

I rubbed the spot on my cheek that her hand had graced with its presence and sighed. I turned and jogged down to Smith's office. After all, Cam was mad at me. I really didn't want his wrath as well.

* * *

><p>I knocked on the door to Smith's office and waited.<p>

"Come on in." He said.

I opened the door and glanced around, "Uh... Mr. Smith?"

"Be out in just a second!"

I shrugged and plopped down in a chair. The door across from his desk opened and a man walked out. I jumped up and stepped back cautiously. "What are you doing here?"

Solomon sat on top of the desk like he used to do during CovOps. "Nice to see you too."

I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms, "What's with the voices? Here… CovOps on Friday?"

He shrugged, "When I was at Langley doing debriefing from missions, life would get boring. It was fun."

I glanced around, "So why are you here? Where's Smith."

He chuckled and ran a hand back through his hair. It was thinner now and I could define a few grey pieces around the sides. "Just checking in."

"Who exactly knows you're here?"

He thought for a moment. "Your CovOps class…. Abby…."

"You didn't think it would be a good idea to tell Mrs. Morgan?"

He shrugged again, "Need to know basis."

"She doesn't need to know?"

"You know, I think Cammie's rubbing off on you. You used to be the one breaking in and out of this place."

"Whatever. Why are you here?"

"I needed to know that Cammie was okay." He said in a fatherly tone of voice.

"She's fine." I said bitterly.

He raised his eyebrows.

"What." I said coldly.

"Zach, I'm a spy and I also practically raised you."

"So?"

"So I know when you're lying."

"Whatever."

He kicked his feet up to rest on the chair in front of Smith's desk. "Have you talked to your mom lately?"

I shook my head, "I try not to."

"It's not going to go away, Zach. And you're hurting her more by sitting on the fence."

"She's alive, okay?" I practically yelled. "She's alive. She's here."

"And SHE did that on her own! You did NOTHING to protect her."

"I tried!"

"No you didn't!"

"She pushed me away!"

"SO. WHAT." He said through gritted teeth.

"This is stupid." I scoffed and turned to open the door to leave. He grabbed my arm and flung me into the chair.

"Zach, if you don't gain her trust then you're going to end up exactly like her father did- the best spy in the world, and dead."

I glared at him, "I can take care of myself. I'm alive now, aren't I?"

"Yeah, and what are you doing with your life?" He shot back.

"What are you getting at." I groaned, tired of his game.

"Pick a side. Either you're with us or against us."

"Who's _us_? You're not a part of Gallagher _or_ Blackthorne anymore, Solomon_. You left_."

"You don't know the whole story, Zach."

"So why don't you tell me."

"Need to know basis."

"Does this have anything to do with Abby's reaction when she saw you?"

"Need to know basis, Zach."

"I need to know."

"Not right now."

"Solomon-"

"You'll figure it out soon."

"Any advice?"

He thought for a moment. "Smith- you told Cam to trust him?"

I nodded. "Yeah?"

"Don't."

"What?" I said, puzzled.

Solomon walked back to the door he originally came in from. "Never get trapped by blackmail, Zach."

He walked out and closed the door behind him.

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><p><strong>Okay. This was not the chapter I intended to write! To be perfectly honest, this was NOT in my story board at all!<strong> **So I hope everything flows well and yall still get it! I'll probably post-pone the intended chapter for 13 until a bit later. Builds the effect or something like that. SO YEAH. (: **

**This is what depresses me: **

** I didn't really get any reviews for the last chapter so I can't do Q&A because there were no questions! (Seriously, yall- I look forward to writing Author's Notes bc they're REALLY fun!) Aaaaand yah. **

**This one had more Solomon in it. You get a hint of what John Smith is up to! DUN DUN DUHHHHH! **

**Sorry if it seems short! I'm REALLY trying to update faster so yall aren't waiting! I really hope yall are still reading & all that jazz(:**

**Please R&R!**

**Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease!**

**-Alli(:**


	16. Chapter Fourteen

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or storyline from the amazing, Gallagher Girls Series. I am also not affiliated with Ally Carter or Hypernion Books/ Publishing... I also don't own Zach... Sadly.  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen<strong>

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><p><strong>Bex's POV<strong>

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><p>I walked into the library and glanced around. It was Saturday and most everyone had gone into Roseville for the day. But, being the covert operatives we are, Cammie, Liz, Macey, Jonas, Zach, Grant, and I had chosen to stay back for more <em>clandestine<em> purposes.

I wasn't surprised that the library appeared empty. We weren't supposed to meet until after lunch and it was only ten in the morning. I walked over to a bookshelf and pulled out a book entitled, "_Defense Maneuvers: A Condensed Guide to Tranquil and Lethal Hand- to- Hand Combat Positions_." I frowned and put it back. I didn't want the _condensed_ version. I turned a corner and ran my finger along the spines of another row of books. _Where was it_?

I smiled. It was tucked away where I had left it last time. I leaned over to snatch it from the shelf when a strong arm encompassed my waist and attempted to pin me against the bookshelf. I countered the attack and flung the assailant onto the table.

"Grant?"

He grinned and coughed, trying to catch his breath. "Nice to see you too, _Rebecca._"

Oh, he was going to get it.

I swung my fist at his gut, but he caught my hand in his before I made contact. He grinned and laughed,

"Come on, Bexy. Loosen up!"

I glared at him and pushed him off the table. He got up and hoisted me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Grant chuckled and let held me so that I couldn't get away. All I could do was kick and hope I made contact.

"You know, you've really lost your touch." He smirked as he put me down.

_Stupid mistake_.

"The Bex I knew would have pummeled me in six seconds, flat."

I smiled evilly at my choice... er… Macey's 'guidance' to wear heels today. I bolted at him and tackled him to the ground like a football player. (Well, _American_ football, that is.)

"What do you want, Newman." I barked as I dug my heels into his legs.

Grant winced. "Cut it, Bex! Those friggin' heels are death!"

I just grinned.

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><p><strong>Grant's POV<strong>

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><p>Those stupid heels! Why do girls wear them? It's like self torture! Why would you even do that! But no, instead of having mercy on my muscles, she just gave me that cocky "I'm- Bex- Baxter- and- you're- going- to –die" grin and kept stabbing my calves with the frickin' spikes! I grunted and flipped her off me and stood.<p>

Dumb idea.

She held on to my arm and twisted. _HARD_.

Then I poked her.

Then she laughed like a little girl.

Then she punched me.

In the jaw.

_REAL HARD_.

But come on, we were just having a little fun- not like I'd actually ever hurt her. So what was a guy supposed to do? I just grinned.

She rolled her eyes but cracked a smile.

"Stop it…." She smiled.

I chuckled, "Stop what?"

"That goofy grin of yours! It makes you look like a little kid!"

She was still smiling though.

I sat on the table and swung my legs back and forth. "Do I still look like a little kid, Bexy?" I grinned.

She laughed and put her hands on my knees and whispered, "Yes."

I slid off the table and stood less than an inch away from her.

Slowly.

Slowly I leaned in.

I leaned in until I could feel her breath.

Her eyes were closed and I could tell that her breath hitched.

Slowly.

_Very_ slowly,

I reached around and gently tugged her hair out of the ponytail.

I slipped it around my fingers as her eyes opened.

She looked up and stared directly into my eyes.

_She_ smiled like a little kid.

Then I flicked her ponytail across the library and grinned.

Her smiled dropped instantly.

I laughed and took off towards the door, but not before stealing a quick kiss. She stomped her feet and huffed as she crossed her arms. (And to be honest, I'm surprised she didn't break a heel during the whole enchilada.) I jogged back to my room and was met by a very confused Zach and Jonas.

I was still grinning.

I could care less what they though.

Yeah, sure- Bex would probably kick my tail later in P&E, but hey- she's frickin gorgeous when she's mad.

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><p><strong>Bex's POV<strong>

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><p><em>UGH.<em>

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><p><em><em>**Well there you have it! Chapter FOURTEEN! **

**Okay: First off- APOLOGY! Life's been absolutely insane and I really haven't had time nor the inspiration to write much. The storyline has also been very serious lately, so I decided to add this little chapter of fun.**

**(Plus, one of my Betas was asking for a Bex/ Grant chapter.)**

**SO, there it is, Ladies and Gents. **

**Alright: Down to business.**

**First off, thank you for all the wonderful reviews and messages I've been getting! I absolutely love reading yall's , here are my explanations for your Questions submitted via reviews and messages:**

**1.)_Zach was supposed to see Smith, why was Solomon there?_ Well, dear readers, Mr. Solomon is a talented man. Apart from being able to weave raw spaghetti noodles without them breaking, he is also incredibly good at impersonating teachers. SO, he pretended to be Smith so he could secretly meet with Zach and warn him.**

** 2.) _Solomon's warning to Zach_: You'll just have to wait and see(: Mwahahahaha!**

**3.)_How many chapters I plan on doing_: WELL, that is undecided. (Kind of.) I definitely want to have more than twenty. Thirty would probably be ideal, but that's not locked in. Shoot, I could still be writing this until Gallagher 6 comes out! **

**Alrighty. I think that's about all!**

**OH! (Nevermind about that being all!)**

**ALLY CARTER IS AMAZING! If you haven't read Chapter One of Gallagher 5 yet, DO IT. Ally put a link to it on her website. ALSO- Every THURSDAY she posts a new short story on the Gallagher Academy website. Read Em'! AAAAAANNNNNDDDDD for Valentines Day, she put up a MAJOR excerpt from Gallagher 5 up. Check out her Twitter page for links and whatnot(: **

**And just for the record, March 20th can't come fast enough!**

**Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease!**

**-Alli(:**

**(Oh, and please R&R!)**


	17. Chapter Fifteen

**Disclaimer: I am not Ally Carter, nor am I affiliated with the Gallagher Girls Series, Ally Carter, or Disney- Hyperion Publishing.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen<strong>

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><p><strong>Cammie's POV<strong>

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><p><em>In 504 B.C., Confucius said, "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves." <em>_The outcome of chaos can never be predicted. The only certainty it brings is the devastation it leaves in its wake. It also seems as if adversity creates unexpected alliances. But, tragedy and terror have a way of exposing people's true intentions- whether they are pure or evil. Surely, though, the outcome of utter chaos cannot be predicted- it cannot be calculated- the only certainty is that there will be devastation. The thing is, revenge blinds perception. It blurs the lines of right and wrong. And as a spy, those lines are already hard to see. As spies, we do bad thing for good reasons._

_A wise man once told me, "Always question where your loyalty lies. The people you trust will expect it, your greatest enemies will desire it and those you treasure the most will without fail, abuse it."__ True loyalty takes years to build or gain- but merely seconds to destroy it. Loyalty is a powerful tool, but one thing more powerful than that: envy. And the worst betrayals? They come from the ones we trust most. __Like life, revenge can be a messy business, and both would be so much simpler if only our heads could figure out which way our hearts will go. But the heart has its reasons of which reason cannot know._

_The greatest weapon anyone can use against us is our own mind. By preying on the doubts and uncertainties that already lurk there; they can murder us far faster than any gun. _

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><p>Although Joseph Solomon had always held fast to his personal mandate of, "In this business, if you need a gun, then it's probably too late for one to do any good." John Smith's beliefs were vastly different. While both men exercise their second amendment rights very liberally, trying to explain Solomon's firearm philosophy to Mr. Smith was practically impossible; thus he forced us to learn the modern art of guns.<p>

So here I am. Lying on the floor of the P&E Barn, (which has been temporarily been converted into a firing range) ready to fire a M1919 Browning. To be perfectly honest, I've maneuvered bigger guns through more dangerous situations. What freaked me out most about this situation, though? I was being graded.

By Smith.

And the Board of Trustees.

And The CIA Director.

And a Secret Service Agent.

And my mother.

(And Zach was there too.)

When you give a seventeen (almost eighteen) year old a semi-automatic weapon, there will be licensed and important people there to observe.

I gripped the trigger lightly and focused on the target. I inched my body closer to the gun and exhaled softly. Slowly, I adjusted the gun to hit the target. I glanced around.

To the left, Mr. Smith was standing my by mother- his arm around her waist- and was whispering something to her.

To the right, the Gallagher Trustees were busy making notes about the facilities and precautions.

Behind me, the Director glanced at his watch and was probably wishing this was over. I had met him a few times prior and it was formal. This was different. This was a test.

Beside him, one of Abby's colleagues from the Secret Service had come to observe my technique. (In case they wanted to recruit me and all…)

In front of me was Zach. Even though he was on the opposite end of the barn, adjusting the targets, I could tell he was just as nervous as I was. Everyone here knew who he was- who his mother is. He was here earning his place, just as much as I was re-affirming mine.

I focused my eyes on the target. The six points I needed to hit.

_The head._

_The neck._

_The heart._

_The lungs._

_The stomach._

_The upper leg._

Zach went through the final inspection of the target and the reinforcements then jogged back and stood beside the director.

I made the last few checks of the gun and looked around the room.

_That's when I saw it._

The slight movement in the rafters-

Then the creak of the door-

Then the swish of footsteps in the grass-

_He was here._

I shook it out of my mind and locked my gaze on the target.

Smith looked at me for confirmation that I was ready. I gave him a slight nod and positioned myself to fire.

It was all over in an instant.

Frankly, I don't remember looking for the six points as the bullets exploded out of the Browning. All I remember is pulling the trigger and feeling the searing pain in my shoulder as the gun kicked back on the stand. I held tight as I finished the exercise.

I unloaded the rest of the ammunition and set it safely aside before removing my earplugs and safety glasses.

There was light applause then a murmur as the adults began to discuss my performance.

Zach jogged to the other side to retrieve the target for their inspection.

I stood and my mom gave me a quick hug.

"You did great, Cammie. I'm sure you'll get high marks."

I smiled and gave her another hug.

Smith sauntered over and gave a brief, polite smile and a pat on the shoulder. "Well done, Cameron. I'm very proud to say that you have represented the Senior Covert Operations class very well today."

Without another word, I stepped away and followed Zach as he laid the target on the table for the actual operatives to discuss.

Six clean shots. Five of which were right on spot. The sixth- the thigh- was a millimeter to the right.

Hopefully they wouldn't take too much off for that.

The agent representing the Secret Service had packed up the M1919 and was on her way out with the rest of the agents.

Zach had turned to follow them but I quickly grabbed his wrist.

"Hey, my anklet broke off today during P&E, can you help me look for it?"

The lie was smooth and easy. Lies, like most dishonesty, are usually frowned upon, but like I previously stated, as spies, we do bad things for good reasons.

He gave me a puzzled look, but waited until all the agents were thirty yards out before saying anything. We sat on one of the bales of hay in the corner. Breaking the silence after one minute and forty- two seconds, he said, "I saw him too."

He leaned against the wood panels as I leaned forward and rested my elbows on my knees.

Two minutes and eight seconds passed. The silence was killing me.

That's when we heard it again.

_The rustling in the grass._

_The scratching of shoes and hands on the wood paneling._

_The shadow in the rafters._

I glanced over at Zach and observed the growing smirk on his face. The shadow repelled down from the rafters and walked towards us.

Zach put his hands behind his head and his foot on his knee. I leaned back and folded my arms as my back hit the wall.

"I need a word with you two." Solomon said firmly.

Zach shrugged, "What."

Solomon smacked his foot off his knee and Zach sat up immediately. I leaned forward and crossed my legs.

"I need to talk to your mom, Cam."

I looked at him, not sure where this was going, "Uh, okay?"

He crossed his arms, "There's going to be a test. I overheard Smith discussing it with Dabney." (And may I mention that when Joseph Solomon says, 'overheard', it usually means he was intentionally snooping.)

Zach sighed and leaned against the corner wall, "And?"

Solomon rolled his eyes, "And you two need to keep Smith away from her for at least twenty minutes."

I laughed.

_A lot._

"You're crazy. They're practically joined at the hip."

He chuckled lowly, "I've noticed. I've been trying to catch her for the past week but she's either always with a student or him….. Or both."

Zach leaned forward and scratched the back of his head, "Wait, so how are we supposed to distract Smith?"

Solomon shrugged, "Whatever you think would work best."

Zach Looked at me.

I looked at Zach.

Solomon rolled his eyes.

"The ball is Friday night." He muttered.

I gasped in shock, "BALL?"

"Yep!" He called out as he walked back to the rappelling cord.

Zach was crouched over on the hay bale, laughing hysterically, and clutching his side as Solomon slipped away. I shot him a glare and kicked his knee.

"OW! Hey, watch it!" He chuckled as he sat up. "Come on, Gallagher Girl, what could possibly be bad about this?" He smirked.

I shot him a glare. "Do I have time to go get my list?"

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><p><strong>Alright, alright: Here goes...<strong>

**I'M SORRY, DEAR READERS!**

**REALLY, I LOVE YOU ALL!**

**Honestly, I do really regret that I haven't updated in SO LONG! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**I was going to make this one huge really long chapter, but then I realized if I did that then I would have ZERO inspiration for Chapter Sixteen, SO. I split this one up into two chapters. ANYWAYS.**

**I've got some pretty great stuff planned for sixteen. Hopefully tomorrow I'll buckle down and start writing it. Okay, so this week I'm (basically/ sort of) free, but I'll be gone from the 17th to the 24th, so hopefully I'll have a few more chapters up before then to hold off the tar and feathers.**

**Okay. Orders of business:**

**1.) OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF TIME comes out MARCH 13TH!**

**2.) READ CHAPTER ONE AND ALLY'S MINI- STORIES ON THE GALLAGHER GIRLS WEBSITE!**

**3.) I'M REALLY REALLY EXCITED FOR BOOK FIVE! (Ya'll seriously have NO IDEA!)**

**4.) What I need you guys to tell me in reviews:**

** -Where do you think this story is going? (I want to see if ya'll are going to be surprised or not.)**

** -Is Solomon evil?**

** -What you thought of this chapter**

** -What character would you like to see more of?**

** -Are you going to get Out of Sight, Out of Time on March 13th?**

**5.) Be awesome.**

**That's all for now!**

**Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease!**

**-Alli(:**


	18. Author's Note Book Five Release Day!

**Author's Note**

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><p><strong>Happy Gallagher Girls Day!<strong>

Gallagher Girls Book Five- _Out of Sight, Out of time_- is released today!

-If you're on Twitter, follow Ally Carter at OfficialAlly

-Also, if you're on Twitter, we're trying to get #GallagherGirls trending! So hashtag it up!

-If you happen to live in or near a city that Ally is touring in, I'm very jealous! (I believe she is spending Release day in Washington D.C. After all, where better to celebrate Gallagher Five than in the city where Zach found Cam!)

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><p>So here's the deal:<p>

While I work on writing chapter sixteen, I want all of you wonderful readers to leave me a message in the review section, telling me a few things:

**1.) Favorite Cammie/ Josh moment from _I'd Tell You I Love you, But Then I'd Have to Kill You_. (Book One)**

** 2.) Favorite Cammie/ Zach moment from _Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy_. (Book Two)**

** 3.) Something that surprised you in _Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover_. (Book Three)**

** 4.) Most exciting thing about _Only the Good Spy Young_. (Book Four)**

** 5.) Are you going to see/ try to meet Ally Carter on her book tour?**

Alright! That seems like that's about it for today! Hopefully chapter sixteen will be up soon! (I haven't started writing it though! Yikes!)

So yeah!

**Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease!**

**-Alli(:**


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